When Memories Haunt
by Mademoiselle Anime Amour
Summary: Serafina Ashcroft, close friend of Tifa's, tries to run away from her past. She has learned to fight, both physically and mentally, through her struggles. However, when the past comes back full-force, she learns things about herself she never expected to. OC/Reno. Rated T. Earlier chapters now edited.
1. Prologue

**A/N: OK, so this is my new FFVII story, as promised. It's a bit AU-ish in the sense that Midgar's been rebuilt over the two years. It takes place after Advent Children and does reference the game in some ways. Unfortunately, I can't get past the snake in the actual game, so I basically used Wikipedia to help me out. Anyway, enjoy.**

**Edited on 7/5/13-Note: Much happier with this one this time around.**

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><p><strong>Prologue<strong>

Midgar was once a proud city, as it was the capital. Shinra Inc. assumed its presence there and became the reason why Midgar was so great and renowned throughout the world. Indeed, the company was its entire existence, or else it would have been relatively useless economy-wise. However, Shinra proved not to be as wonderful as the Midgarians claimed but crooked in its dealings. So, when a certain resistance group tried to stop them, the group ultimately ended up being blamed for a horrible plate collapse that was not their fault. It was just like diabolical Shinra to play the victim and blame those against them.

Now, two years had passed since that fateful incident, and Midgar had desperately struggled to get back on its feet. Granted, there were more slums than there used to be, but at least it was still alive even if it was only just. Shops sprouted up here and there, though many of them were of the black market variety. Crumbled remains of buildings near the former plant had been cleared up mostly with some ruins left behind. And a certain desecrated church overlooked everything, all the comings and goings of jaded citizens.

All in all, Midgar promised to get up and moving again, even if it couldn't recapture the glory it once had.

At one particular shop, a spirited young woman haggled with the shopkeeper over the price of bread. The price of it and other necessities had gone ridiculously up due to the inevitable economic downturn that had forced several owners to charge higher.

"50 gil for bread is way too high, sir. How about 10?" the woman suggested, tossing her light brown ponytail over her shoulder out of habit.

The man remained unconvinced. "You think I'm running a charity? 45 gil."

She scoffed, "45 gil? Are you kidding me? No! 15 gil."

"How about 20?" the shopkeeper asked exasperatedly. "It'll be my final offer."

With a long-suffering sigh, the woman slammed that amount of currency on the table. "Deal."

"Pleasure doing business with you, Sera," the man sneered, giving her what she could only assume was supposed to be a friendly salute.

"Yeah, yeah, you too, _sir_," Sera mocked before leaving the store in a huff.

Honestly, she hated living here in this barren wasteland. For seven long years, she'd been a resident of Midgar along with her grandmother. However, she was considered an outsider, an intruder, and was blamed for chaotic monster attacks that had happened mere months after the initial plate collapse.

The city resented her, and she resented the city back in kind for their disapproval. Harsh whispers floated constantly around her, pointedly gossiping about her eccentric ways.

These traits included her fierce independence, her dripping sarcasm, and the fact that she rode a motorcycle, though that was usually reserved for escaping to Edge whenever the fancy struck her.

A popular theory about her strangeness compared her, Serafina Ashcroft, with the quiet, mysterious Aeris Gainsborough. Sera was just too different and too odd, much like the dead flower girl had been. Frankly, she didn't understand why she would be put in the same category as Aeris, whom she'd never known. Oh sure, she used to see her on the street, carrying her basket of freshly picked flowers, but they'd never exchanged words. From what Tifa had said of her, though, Sera regretted not taking that chance to get to know her.

Maybe she would have gotten something out of that acquaintance.

She knew she couldn't change the past, so that was just one more "what if?" question she would never get an answer to. Not like she wasn't used to that. It was just annoying because it was part of this painful cycle called life, when people died around her all the time.

Currently irritated about this overpriced loaf of bread, Sera strode her way home, heaving the bag of groceries over her shoulder. Even the way she walked proved how strong she was. Around five foot seven, she was quite tall with imposing features, like a class bully who would taunt the shorter kids. Despite her striking figure, Sera was no bully. Just a loner for the most part, aside from the few friends she did have.

She lived in the roughest part of Midgar, the most disgusting, filthiest section of the infamous slums. Every now and then, she would hear gunshots go off that generally kept all the arsonists and the thieves at bay. Self-defense most of the time, but it didn't leave Sera any less perturbed. Who knew if self-defense could turn into cold-blooded murder one of these times? Otherwise, the area managed to stay safe, only less then desirable to inhabit. She certainly never asked to be in this part of the city. Or even in this city at all.

The house where she lived with her grandmother Rosemary was a bit cramped but comfortable. It had six small rooms, but that was plenty enough for the two of them. If there were some positives in her life, then good, Sera would take all that she could get out of that deal.

"Hey, Grandma," she greeted with a wry half-smile as soon as she came in. "I'm never shopping at Mr. Hallos' ever again if I can help it."

Her grandmother looked up from her crochet work at her place in the rocking chair in their tiny living room. "Why?"

"He wanted 50 gil for bread. Can you believe that? I managed to get him to sell it to me for 20 gil, but that was still too much. It ticked me off, too. I knew I should have gotten it at Mrs. Rosenbaum's," Sera sighed huffily, rolling her amber eyes, another customary habit. "That's where I got the beef and vegetables."

Rosemary sighed as well but for a different reason. "I should have warned you about Mr. Hallos, dear. He's raising his prices more often than he used to."

"That's because Mr. Hallos is a money-grubbing ba"—she saw Rosemary's slightly reproachful expression—"idiot. Sorry, Grandma."

She was somewhat mortified that she nearly cursed in front of her grandmother, even though she couldn't conceal her frustration at the changing times. Midgar seemed to improve, yet in other ways, it had worsened.

Also, Sera more often as not found herself losing patience with the injustice she came across, mainly against her. These people could never accept her for who she was, even after seven years of living here. She would ask them what their issue was with her if it wasn't so fruitless. She had tried many times to figure that out and came up empty, another unanswered question.

Rosemary stared up at her with her mild green eyes. "Serafina, child, I know you feel that this place has misjudged you. But, maybe, you've made your own unjust prejudices against the people here. Try to have more patience with them."

What? Was Grandma being serious? Amber eyes flashing in annoyance, Sera gazed down at her to check her expression. Indeed, her grandmother was being calm like always but solemn. Not joking at all? Huh, she should have known.

"Don't you think I've tried, Grandma?" she asked softly with the most subdued hint of anger. "I _know _they don't like me. I don't belong here. Maybe they're right."

She proceeded to pick up her motorcycle helmet from the coffee table set before the worn gray couch as well as the keys to her prized vehicle. "I'm gonna meet up with Tifa. I'll come back by suppertime."

More than anything in the whole world, Sera longed for a freeing drive. Away from these nasty people, in whom Grandma insisted on finding some good. As much as she wished to adopt that philosophy, she knew she couldn't. Trust no one except those worthy of her trust. That was a creed she tended to live by, always had.

Always would.

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><p><strong>AN: This story will pretty much have all kinds of elements to it, including mystery. It's going to be revealed after a while what Sera's past is, but it will take a long time.**

**Hm, apparently, Serafina is also the name of a character from Phillip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy. I wasn't even aware of it until I read the first book. It was kind of weird but kind of cool. XD**

**I hope you find this story enjoyable, even if, yes, it is going to focus a lot on the OC. But, don't worry, Sera is far from a Sue in my opinion.**


	2. Dealing with Idiots

**A/N: OK, one review for the prologue. Not bad. But, I'm sure I can do better. Because in this chapter, there will be humor and (finally) some actual FFVII characters. I'll try to include them, obviously, because I don't want my OC taking up the whole story. It's happened before to me, and I just want you guys to know that OC stories are not always a pain. OK, so I forgot the one disclaimer last time, so here it is.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of FFVII or the movie or any of that.**

**Edited on 7/3/13**

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><p><strong>Chapter 1: Dealing with Idiots<strong>

With enough gil she'd managed to save up, Sera had bought her motorcycle when she was sixteen. Though Grandma had initially fretted over the idea of her granddaughter on such a vehicle, she'd learned to relax. After all, Sera was independent and could easily fend for herself. One of her more positive traits, in her opinion.

Besides, due to her self-reliance, she ensured her safety on that motorcycle by always strapping on her helmet. That made Grandma happy, so it made her happy, too.

Sera smirked under her helmet as she drove, accelerating up to 70 miles an hour.

_Freedom, sweet freedom_, she thought with triumphant satisfaction.

If her life was only her riding her beloved motorcycle, she wouldn't have a care in the world ever again. She could actually be content with her life if that was the case instead of persistently noticing the things it lacked.

_Once upon a time, there was a happy little girl named Serafina Ashcroft, and she had everything in the whole wide world..._

Sternly, inside her head, she told herself to focus on the beautiful day that she could see because of the open road. She had to be thankful that she had that day to appreciate in the present moment. That was what living was all about, at least to the fullest.

The summer sunlight glowed radiantly in the bright afternoon sky, the desert (she didn't know what else to call it) stretching beyond any sort of limits. Nothing behind or ahead of her, nothing to watch out for in terms of dangerous creatures. Sera had her freedom here and now to enjoy, away from Midgar and the ugly disdain its people held for her there. Though this stretch of desert mostly comprised of dirt and sparse plants, she found her surroundings to be oddly breathtaking, captivating. If she could paint it, she would.

The rush of driving her motorcycle filled her veins, overwhelmed every pore of her, as the wind whipped through her hair. She could feel her ponytail fly up above her shoulders. Adrenaline threatened to burst inside her, like those Northern Lights from some other world she'd heard about.

Sera was heading toward Edge, a city twice the size of Midgar, and 7th Heaven in particular. She'd been friends with Tifa Lockheart for as long as she could remember, ever since their childhoods in Nibel—that town. No way would she recall its name now. Too many awful memories were associated with that place, too many contributions made to the Lifestream...

When the two girls had been children, very young, they had been quite close, practically like sisters. As for Cloud, he'd been too proud to hang out with two girls at one time, as he was a stubborn guy. She remembered that with a grin. That was why she rarely saw him around, not like he would have contributed much to their conversations. He was a guy, all right, the stoic type of few words. She'd often called him Cloud Silent.

It had been two months since him and Tifa and the rest of the AVALANCHE gang had dealt with Kadaj and his brothers. The only way Sera had found out about that story had been through her last visit to the bar. There, the whole group had told her about these Remnants, how they'd dealt with them accordingly, and how the sinister Sephiroth had gotten involved somehow. Sera had always been confused about that Sephiroth part and how the three brothers were connected with him.

It was an inside joke between her and Barret as to that connection, if Sephiroth had been their brother or uncle or...

"'Those sons of bitches were probably his grandkids for all we know'," Sera quoted her friend with a giggle.

Oh, she couldn't wait to see them all again soon.

Eventually, Sera slowed down as Edge's buildings became closer and closer to her field of vision. She was all the way down to 40 mph by the time she spotted the familiar 7th Heaven building. Nothing warmed her heart more than to visit and chat with her friends, especially after a bad day in Midgar. The thought of moving to Edge constantly crossed her mind, though she tended to resist it. She felt obligated to Grandma to stay in the slums, so that she could look after her.

For, truth be told, her grandmother was the only family she had left.

Once she got her motorcycle parked, Sera removed her helmet, shaking out her long ponytail before entering the bar. Her friend Tifa was preoccupied in wiping down the tables, getting ready for that night's onslaught of barflies. So busy was she that she didn't notice Sera right away.

Until the girl joked, "Yeah, I'll have a martini. Oh, and I want the olive included. Make it two olives."

Upon recognizing her good friend's voice, Tifa snorted in disbelief. "First of all, Sera, it's one o'clock in the afternoon. Second of all, I don't care if you've been old enough to drink, I am _not _going to have my best friend driving drunk on her motorcycle."

Sera laughed, sauntering her way over to the bartender. "Just kidding, Tifa. How've things been?"

Tifa stopped her industrious table cleaning and turned toward her, standing a full three inches shorter than the tall, svelte girl. "Great. We haven't chased out any monsters or any of Jenova's kids in quite some time. I'd say we're doing pretty well for ourselves. How about you, Ser?"

Sera's smile faltered. "OK, I guess. Dealing with idiots in Midgar, what else?"

Sera had been half-joking about ordering a martini with an extra olive. She wasn't much of an alcoholic, but she did like to have a good drink occasionally. In fact, she wouldn't have minded having one right now in a shot glass, just so she could throw her head back and gulp. Midgar negatively got to her in a way no other town had done. She settled down into one of the bar stools by the counter, tapping her fingers impatiently on the smooth cherry wood surface.

Tifa joined her at the stool next to her. "Well, you could move to Edge, you know. It's really not that far away from your grandmother. And, even though we don't have much room here for you, I'm sure you could rent a cheap apartment."

Sera only shook her head in response. "We've discussed this before, Teef. I can't just leave my seventy-three-year-old grandmother to take care of herself. She's been taking care of me since I was fourteen. I gotta return the favor."

The two young women then fell silent, each of them lost in her thoughts. The atmosphere was almost too tense for Sera to bear, and here she'd thought they would have lighter conversation than this. Maybe Midgar thinking tainted it. Whatever the reason, she was desperate to sound breezier.

"So, anyway, one idiot in question happened to be Mr. Hallos and his stupid prices at his little shop. He wanted 50 gil for bread. White, wheat, rye...Didn't matter, 50 gil per loaf."

Sera was pleased to discover that this fact produced more of a reaction in Tifa than it had in Grandma. "50 gil? Is inflation that bad over there now? I mean, bread's only 10 gil here."

Frowning slightly at this, Sera made a little disapproving clicking sound with her tongue. 10 gil had been the price she'd aimed for at Hallos' after all. Another thing about Edge that gave her the desperate urge to move there: people saw reason in this neck of the woods. Not to mention when AVALANCHE protected the city from Bahamut SIN and the brotherly trio, they were praised for it. Here in Midgar, if that same instance had occurred, they would have been ostracized for attracting these villains to begin with.

Sera confessed, "Yeah, it's bad over there. Shinra Inc. pretty much made that city. But, their mako reactors did have to be destroyed...God, I hate capitalism."

"But hey, makes the world go round, doesn't it?" an all too familiar voice drawled from the doorway.

_Great, just perfect_, Sera thought sourly, for she'd know that obnoxiously drawling voice anywhere. Reno Turk—not really, she'd never had the foggiest idea what his last name was, if he had one. The worst part was he'd saved her life once, a long time ago. As stupid and ignorant as he was, he probably didn't remember. Of course, she did, and it got on her nerves. Because she never knew why, and that meant she would have to return him that favor some time in life. Or not. He didn't deserve even that much.

Tifa, though, ever the diplomat, decided to humor him. "Hey, Reno, how are you doing?"

"Oh, you know, the usual. Crackin' backs, bustin' skulls, shootin' brains...All that fun stuff."

"You forgot about kissing up to the big, bad Rufus," Sera snidely remarked, suddenly craving that fictional martini. She was also glad that Cloud was most likely out at the moment, or all the violence Reno mentioned would be inflicted on him.

Rather than showing her the animosity she expected in implying that he was nothing but a coward, he chuckled. "Ah, I thought it was you. Great seeing you again, Serafin, my little biker chick."

Sera groaned, "Shut up, Reno. And I've told you before. It's Sera or Serafina, but preferably Sera. Not Serafrickin'fin, OK?"

Reno put up his hands in a disarming manner. "Jeez, Sera, no need to be so touchy. Can't I say it's great seeing you?"

No, he couldn't. It would sound fake coming from a Turk. Really, Sera could understand Cloud's opinion on the Turks and sympathize with him on that note.

Turks were nothing but assassins for Shinra most of the time, she'd found that out early, first and foremost. The thing was, they did get rid of what she would call bad people, but only because Rufus and before that his father (that man could burn in hell) were themselves revolting. In her view, anyone associated with Shinra Inc. was untrustworthy. Tifa had told her once that what she got out of Cloud was that Reno especially had been determined to stop him from confronting Rufus. What additionally made Sera not too caring toward Reno was that that redhead had apparently shocked Cloud once or twice with his EMR.

"You mean it's great seeing my body," she snorted condescendingly. "I mean, you're seriously a perv."

"Am not. I like my women. I like my liquor. I'm an all-around—"

Sera interrupted him, "Guy's guy, we know. Good luck on keeping a steady girlfriend."

Oh, what the hell did it matter to her anyway? Reno was still young, just four years her senior. However, if he kept acting like this sophomoric adolescent, she would end up being right.

Glancing away from him, she mulled over her words, which were unarguably true. She thought about just what their relationship was like. It wasn't like she was a big fan of him, but she had always wanted to like him. The inevitable problem with him, though, was that he had the capability to be a great person. But, his job totally contradicted that. She was quite frustrated by his hypocrisy on an almost instinctual level.

There was no way he could be an incredible, somewhat amiable guy. Shouldn't he have been more callous like he had been before?

While Sera remained silent, Tifa asked Reno, "What are you doing here, exactly? You know the bar's not open this time of day."

"One o'clock is his happy hour, Tifa," Sera brought up dryly, pushing strands of her hair back behind her ear. "Isn't that right, Reno?"

"Damn straight." He grinned. "Besides, I'm really craving a martini right about now. I'm off-duty, so it's not gonna kill me. Oh, and while you're at it, put an extra olive in."

And his sly grin widened even more, to near-epic proportions.

Narrowing her eyes suspiciously at him, she inaudibly groaned that her joke wound up backfiring on her. If it had been any other person at the moment, she wouldn't have thought too much over that "martini" comment. However, since espionage was among many of the Turks' specialties, she was highly aware that Reno had a tendency to eavesdrop. On everybody.

"How much did you overhear?" Sera asked lowly, gradually standing to her feet and popping her neck.

Reno was still grinning. "Some...OK, all of it."

"And now, you've left me with a big dilemma. Should I slap you or not? Wouldn't be the first time."

Tifa took this time to wipe down the counter. "You shouldn't have listened in on us, Reno. Not a good idea, especially since Sera is very sensitive about that."

"For very good reason. I can't trust a Turk with my personal info. That would be like giving a thief my ID or my gil."

Not once did the grin, that cocky grin, fade from Reno's lips. He deliberately stepped toward the counter, one well-placed step in front of the other, very strategic in his movements. Slowly but surely, he made his way to Sera, who straightened up stiffly. She had to ignore this funny flip-flop that she got in her stomach.

Much to her slight chagrin, he leaned over her, his breath warm at her ear, to whisper, "You think I'm a bad guy?"

"No, duh." She managed to recover herself in time, but she realized that that was one comeback that failed to be witty.

"Well, then, you'd be right," Reno beamed, giving her back her space as though nothing had happened. "I'm all about the espionage, the assassinations, the kidnappings, and just all that flashy stuff. I'm always up for it. It's all part of the job."

And here she thought he was being vaguely...tender for a moment there. He really had her going.

Sera wrinkled her nose at him in distaste. "God, you make me sick. Sorry that I have to cut the visit short, Teef."

"No problem." Tifa appeared to understand. "Come back any time."

"Yeah, and hopefully, _you _won't be around." She glared at the troublesome redhead.

"Too bad, Sera. I thought we had something special here."

A slam of the door announced her departure.

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><p><strong>AN: Ah, yes. Apart from Tifa, Reno is probably the one character that Sera interacts with more than anyone. Sometimes good, sometimes bad. It's been fun to write their banter, I'll say that. Anyway, he has his own role to play, but you'll have to read more to find out what kind of role he plays here. He's not just put here for any ole random reason. Well, he kind of is, but...OK, so that's the mystery of the story. Hope you're into that sort of thing because there's going to be a whole lot of it from here on out.**

**If you would be so kind, would you please review?**


	3. Stabbed Broccoli

**A/N: OK, it seems to me that not too many people are into this story so far. I hope to change that. Yes, guys, there is an OC as the main character, but she isn't a Mary Sue. She isn't generic or anything like that. If you're curious as to how I write with an OC as the main character, read my Death Note OC story. That managed to get a lot of reviews and faves, so I'm guessing I didn't do too badly in that area. I hope this story gets more reception than it's been getting.**

**OK, sorry for the rant, I had a family fight an hour ago, so I'm not in the best of spirits at the moment.**

**Edited 7/6/2013 Note: Considerably improved in my opinion.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 2: Stabbed Broccoli<strong>

Sera's steely amber eyes glanced around her when she stopped three feet away from the 7th Heaven building. Then, she decided to study her surroundings for a bit. Assessing her location was a method she would use to calm herself down. That way, she could observe other people doing simple tasks, such as mowing the lawn or tending to the garden, and be comforted in knowing normalcy still existed. While she was at it, she would wish that she could trade lives with these people. She would kill to achieve the mundane and to have normal worries and burdens than the ones she carried now.

She watched two little girls playing an innocent game of hopscotch across the street. One of them looked like the very cute Marlene, who was living proof that Sera had a soft spot for children. After all, she had a sister once...

Granted, she had an idyllic childhood, so at least she had experienced a normal life. Normal as opposed to now, when the citizens of Midgar would stare at her like she was some sort of freak. She was the jinx never allowed to be accepted.

Marlene's friend tossed their playing stone at their hopscotch grid and took the four little hops needed to reach her spot. Oh, for the days when she remembered actually being a kid. She could sense that her fingers itched to feel the handlebars of her motorcycle, so she headed over to her parking spot.

"Cute kids," that voice remarked behind her, as though reading her previous thoughts.

With an irritable sigh, she turned toward him. "Reno, haven't you pissed me off enough for one day?"

"Oooh, strong language coming from a lady."

"How long have you been standing there this time?"

He shrugged, ambling along toward her. "Eh, about two minutes. Why? Any interesting monologue I missed?"

Sera rolled her eyes heavenward. "Oh, shut up. Don't you have a skull to break about now?"

Feigning hurt, Reno told her mock reproachfully, "Is that all you think of me as, Serafin? A thug?"

With a dry smirk dancing on her lips, she retorted, "If the shoe fits."

She took on the remaining four feet to reach her motorcycle when a hand on her wrist stopped her. "Wait."

Shocked, she blinked several times. "What?"

Part of her was naïve enough to hope that he would drop the pretense of being a flashy professional assassin and be something closer to human. Or at least something more rational. After all, he reminded her of a spitting firecracker, always ready to go out of control at any minute. He was one of the most impulsive people she'd ever met. And why she wasted time on him at all was anybody's guess except for her own. She had her reasons.

Yet, at the same time, the curious, nosier part of her wondered what was so pressing that he just _had _to discuss it with her before she sped off toward the afternoon sun.

"You really want to move out of Midgar?" Reno asked nonchalantly, retracting his hand once he recalled he'd been holding her wrist for a while.

That was the question? No revelation on why he thought "indirectly" working for Shinra was so brilliant and exciting? Sera's inner detective screamed in protest. As long as she'd known him, she had never been able to obtain a straight answer as to why Reno expressed enthusiasm in what he did, given the often gory details associated with his job. Oh, she'd received a partial answer once, but that was probably just the tip of the iceberg.

That aside, why did he bother taking such an interest regarding where her Midgar escape plans stood?

She nodded warily in response to his inquiry. "Yeah, I've been thinking about it. So?"

"Uh," he amazingly faltered, "is it really that...bad for you there? Has anyone been, um, messing with you?"

"Well..." Sera sighed, glancing up at the cloudless sky, internally counting the number of instances she had been taunted and provoked. "It's a dump, if that's what you mean. And yeah, some of the people aren't that nice."

_Because thugs like you live there now_, she finished darkly in her mind.

Although the Turks and Rufus Shinra had since relocated to this city in hopes for their brighter future, it was small consolation in the grand scheme of things. Crimes of a more severe nature occurred almost daily from what she always heard on the streets. Arson, homicides, rapes…If anything, Midgar had regressed even further, regardless of Shinra Inc.'s presence or departure. It didn't matter in many respects. The lawlessness of that city would only worsen with time. So were Sera's pessimistic thoughts on that dilemma.

When she allowed her gaze to drift back toward Reno, she noted that he stared at her intently, his face blank. As though he was trying to figure her out, calculating what ran through her mind then.

Her breath hitched in her throat upon seeing those eyes looking at her so gravely. They were quite pretty, she admitted to herself. Green with a hint of blue, depending on the light, that reminded her of the sea on a tranquil day. If she closed her own eyes, Sera could imagine the lazily lapping waves, the grainy sensation of sand, and the sound of seagulls calling out in the distance.

What the...?

She was never this romantic, so why would she get this caught up in the color of a man's eyes?

She didn't have to be too concerned, for the spell was broken as soon as the telltale grin returned with a vengeance. "Yep, can't argue with you there. Midgar is a dump. But, hey now, if the boss had a real office building there again..."

Oh, he had to be joking. To think, Reno was being serious for a change (and Sera had been oddly drawn to that, too), and he had to go and say that. That really took the cake.

"Reno," she addressed him furiously.

Oblivious, he raised an eyebrow at her. "Yeah?"

And Sera proceeded to slap him in the face. Hard.

He winced, rubbing his jaw. "Ow...Jeez, you weren't kidding about being pissed off, were you?"

"Do I look like I'm kidding?"

Reno glanced down at her (he stood about four inches inches taller than her) and noticed her seething with suppressed irritation. Well, "irritation" was putting it mildly.

"Nope. It was just a rhetorical question."

Sera shook her head at him like a disapproving mother. "Save your rhetorical questions for your buddy Rude. Later."

Before he could get another word in edgewise, she revved up her motorcycle, put on her helmet, and firmly pushed down on the gas pedal.

Back to Midgar, home sweet home.

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><p>As soon as she got home, Sera prepared dinner alongside Grandma, and tonight's dish was going to be vegetable stir-fry, her favorite. Nothing sounded better than eating a plate of veggies and beef to energize her.<p>

Besides, she could put that healthy energy to good use...like pummeling Reno to a pulp for being such a tactless moron. Honestly, a new Shinra building in Midgar, which they were now apathetic to? And she supposed that after this hypothetical office building would be constructed, then all the mako reactors would come back in. History was doomed to repeat itself, no thanks to that despicable company still around—there would be the off-chance of it happening anyway. Ugh, and he'd wondered why she'd slapped him.

"Here you go, dear," Grandma Rosemary interrupted her vexed thoughts as she handed over the bottle of soy sauce.

Sera only nodded and gently poured the sauce over the frying vegetables in the skillet. As much as she'd doubted it would ever be in her genes, she was surprisingly the domestic type. Indeed, Grandma often commented on her flair to make a dish perfectly appetizing. Well, she'd acknowledge that, but if Reno found out how much she loved cooking, he'd never let her live it down.

Worse, he would start expecting her to cook for him. Sera shuddered at the thought. A terrible scenario, but one she bizarrely could see happening.

After she'd used the finishing touch of soy sauce, she soon turned off the burner and served the meal. Together, the two women sat down at their humble table, content with each other's company.

While forks clinked against old china plates, Grandma inquired, "So, how did your visit with Tifa go?"

Hoo-boy, Sera was not eager at all to talk about this. Reno would inevitably have to be mentioned. Not that she detested the man that much, but she just didn't approve of what he did for a living. His penchant for being a lazy, seemingly oblivious person didn't help matters.

"We didn't get to talk for very long. I mean, we talked about me possibly moving to Edge for good when...um, _somebody _stopped by," Sera explained, pushing the carrots, mushrooms, tomatoes, and her preferred broccoli over to the edge of the plate. She scooped up a couple mushrooms and nibbled on them before taking a swig of tea from her glass.

_Don't ask who it is, don't ask who it is_, she inwardly prayed.

Grandma seemed to target her with her even stare. "Who? Oh, I know. I suppose...Hm, trying to think of all those other young people you associate with...Ah, Reno, was it?"

Damn! At the mere mention of that name, Sera didn't hesitate in spearing a broccoli piece. She didn't eat it, for she just needed something to vent her frustration on. Oh well, no big deal. She'd put on a happy face.

Literally, she smiled quite complacently in response. "Yep, sure was. He tends to overhear what other people are saying. He's got a habit of accidentally doing that. We all tell him to stop, but he's so forgetful."

Hmph, Reno wasn't so much forgetful as he preferred not to listen. Thus, Sera stabbed that same exact broccoli piece again.

"Did you two talk?" Grandma chewed thoughtfully on some snow peas.

Though these questions were fairly standard coming from an adult family member, Sera was nonetheless perplexed. She wouldn't cause any fuss about them, but she felt bombarded.

"Yeah, yeah, we talked. I was too focused on talking to him, unfortunately, so I didn't get to talk to Teef as much as I wanted. Reno and I were discussing how he was doing with his _job_..."

Stab, stab, stab! She took it out on other innocent broccoli heads.

"Sera, I would think you're too old to be playing with your food," Grandma told her gently with a vague hint of amusement.

Heat flooded her cheeks, so she resolved to actually eat the dinner she'd been desperate to get the ingredients for during her break from her own job. That position was far more respectable than Turk, thank you very much.

"Well, he and I tend to banter a lot. I still don't know if I could call him a friend exactly, even though I've gotten to know him better the past two years," Sera confessed the truth, not inclined to hold back with her grandmother. They had a close relationship, so it was a pointless task to hide anything from the elder woman's keen green eyes.

Grandma "hmmed" softly as Sera continued eating her portion, specifically the stabbed broccoli, which had tiny holes where the tines had been. She couldn't help but feel sorry for those little spears that she'd treated so mercilessly. They should have been eaten sooner.

"Here's a bit of grandmotherly advice." Grandma finished off her meal and leaned back in her chair, a noticeable twinkle in her eye. "I have a theory that you're looking at him as something apart from a man. You do end up doing that with people, whether you realize it or not."

Yeah, well, if you trusted no one, you didn't get hurt as often. You didn't have to worry about that happening. That was how Sera had always seen it. She very slightly squirmed in her chair.

Grandma continued, "Judge someone based on their true character along with their actions. Those qualities usually go hand-in-hand. If not, I'd say, for the most part, character matters more."

This was painfully awkward for Sera to listen to. Reno was a character all right, no kidding.

She sighed, "I guess. Hey, I think I cooked great tonight, don't you think?"

A change in subject could do wonders for a heavy conversation.

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><p><strong>AN: I firmly believe that food aggression does exist, and that many foods suffer under the tyranny of repeatedly used knives and forks. XD OK, weird, I know. But, chapter three will be interesting, guys. It won't be like this forever. Next chapter will be a bar scene, a night on the town. That will liven things up.**

**OK, I need some cheering up.**


	4. Quite a Character

**A/N: This is where things finally start to pick up in the story. The inevitable 7th Heaven scene. There you go, guys.**

**Edited on 7/6/2013. Note: Ah, so this one, I feel, is considerably improved. Actually put in a little more description to make the chapter feel slightly less talk-y.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 3: Quite a Character<strong>

The following Saturday night, Sera was back on her motorcycle, speeding under a starry sky. She absolutely loved driving at night. Reckless, devil-may-care abandon seized her, because she knew that the dark possessed a certain danger. It made her feel fearless that she could go through it alone without being the least bit nervous. After all, she wasn't too particularly scared of anything these days. With life experience, she'd learned to rein in her fears, which she could virtually ignore. Fear was a waste of time.

It could prevent you from fighting back.

Regardless of the serious, in-depth reason as to why she valued being in control of any apprehension, Sera was en route to 7th Heaven once again. This time, though, she knew more people would be there.

Around three times a month, all the members of AVALANCHE would collectively get together at Tifa's bar to socialize. These outings were how she'd gotten to know these people, in whom she found kindred spirits. Like her, AVALANCHE had been unfairly blamed at first for something that wasn't their fault, mainly the destruction of the Midgar pillar and the near-destruction of the city itself. Also, they'd all been outcasts at some point or another, feeling like they were alone in the world. Sera could relate to that, so it had been so easy to befriend all of them. Even practically silent Vincent Valentine.

It also helped that Tifa had been eager to introduce her to everybody, because that was the kind of warm, genuine person she was. Always looking out for people. No wonder that once you were friends with her, you were friends for life. Sera was aware of it firsthand.

"It feels like everybody knows my name there…well, in a way," she thoughtfully mused to herself as she saw the cheap neon lights of that familiar bar flash ahead. Her sentiment would certainly be true tonight. She parked next to Cloud's motorcycle, for she figured that as long as it was near his, no one would mess with it.

For the occasion (it being a grand ole Saturday night and all), she had dressed in a pair of black jeans, a silky red tank top, and a silver chocobo pendant necklace that her mother had given her and that she wore all the time. In her opinion, this outfit was dressier than usual for her. Just because she lived in the slums didn't mean she was totally poor. She'd stumbled across a windfall in her time.

When she walked across the threshold, she saw the nine o'clock crowd gathered round, ready for those alcoholic beverages. She spotted her group of friends by the counter, conversing with Tifa. Well, most of them were; Vincent and Cloud weren't speaking that much.

"Hey, guys," Sera greeted, tossing her ponytail over her shoulder.

Yuffie was the first to notice her and waved her over. "Sera, hey, what's up? I feel like I haven't seen you in forever."

"Yeah, two weeks is a real long time, Yuff. I know," she joked sarcastically with a clever wink to go with it.

"How's your grandma?" Barret asked from three stools down.

"Hi, Barret. She's good, yeah. I make sure of it."

Of course, she constantly made sure to care for Grandma, the woman who took her in and kept her safe. She was a strong believer in family, in keeping them together as closely as possible. No matter how shaky and interrupted her life could become, Sera was adamant about never losing her values.

"So, Sera, Tifa mentioned that you got trouble with Reno. Well, you did the other day, apparently," Yuffie brought up.

Sera deeply inhaled and slowly exhaled to keep her emotions balanced. "Don't remind me. He is such an idiot."

"Yeah, but he was willing to help me and Elena get out of a jam that one time. I told ya the story about that fat perv Don Corneo, right?"

She'd been familiar with it. "Yes, Yuffie. That guy had some issues, didn't he?"

"No kidding. Wonder if the wife ever know about his...ergh, hobby."

Sera shook her head. "Doubt he even had a wife, if he was as ugly as you said he was."

"True, true." Yuffie waved a dismissive hand. "Anyway, Ser, Reno's not that bad a guy. Most of the time."

"He probably saved you two because he wanted some for himself. Maybe he wanted to preserve you?"

That sounded awful, even for such a self-proclaimed ladies' man as he was. Even then, his bragging could have been for show. Taking his job into account, he wasn't exactly the hottest commodity to women, as much as he would have argued to the contrary.

The ninja girl didn't respond with disgust, as Sera had figured she would with such a bizarre theory, but she did call her out on it. "Are you kidding? I was a kid back then. And Elena's not his type anyway. Actually, she complained to me about what a slacker he was in his job. She didn't find that particularly attractive, I'm assuming."

"Interesting. Look, Yuff, all I'm saying is that Reno is...He's impossible. He says the wrong things at the wrong time."

Tifa finished up concocting a Bloody Mary for a customer before she stepped somewhat closer to the other two girls. "Hey, you two. What're you talking about?"

"I won't say." Sera firmly shook her head, pretending to zip up her lips with a smile. "If you speak of the devil, he will appear."

"Yeah," Cloud spoke up from her other side. "Don't you hate it when that happens? It's happened to me too many times."

"Que sera, sera, I guess." Tifa shrugged.

Yuffie appeared taken aback. "Eh...What?"

"Whatever will be, will be," Vincent quietly spoke to her, telling her this as though she was a small child.

"Oh...Well, jeez, if someone had told me that sooner—"

"Ah, here're all my friends!"

Simultaneously, Cloud and Sera groaned, with the latter making the louder sound. In contrast, the blond man was usually more discreet about his displeasure whenever Reno walked into a room...at least in public. However, he made it known that he would never truly welcome the redhead to the bar, not to mention the group as a whole. The others ignored him for the most part with Vincent staring contemplatively out the window, Barret talking to Cid Highwind, and Cloud pointedly looking away.

While Reno proudly strode toward the counter, his friend and partner Rude caught up more gradually. It never ceased to amaze Sera how the abnormally tall, more reserved man differed so drastically from the rambunctious one who insisted on intruding on her life. Rude she could actually tolerate in larger doses than Reno.

Maybe because he knew how to shut up.

"Sera." He inclined his head politely, stern in his uniform and sunglasses, never smiling. Even if he was, she could never detect it.

She lifted a greeting hand. "Rude. Pleasure seeing you here."

In the meantime, Cloud got up to relocate to another stool, which gave Reno the opportunity to slide right into that vacated spot. "Isn't it a pleasure seeing _me_, Serafin?"

His nearly flirtatious smirk was close to making her laugh at the ridiculousness of this situation. However, Sera refrained from humoring him by not even letting out a giggle. "No, Reno. It's never a pleasure seeing you. And I could ask Cloud to take you outside."

"I'd do it, too. Believe me," Cloud stated evenly, his mako blue eyes boring into Reno's.

"Eh, well, I'm not here to get in a bar fight. I'm here to have fun. Yo, Tifa," Reno called her over. "Get a whole round of free drinks for all these fine people"—he gestured to all the AVALANCHE group and Rude—"And the tab's on me."

"I'm not taking any charity from you," Cloud muttered.

"Except for that gentleman, apparently. He does not like me. Obviously."

Sera burst out laughing this time. "Yeah, especially since he won't even take a free drink _you _would pay for!"

She found this so unbelievably hilarious that she slammed her hand on the counter while the laughing fit continued. Initially, Reno grinned back to humor her, but it ended up fading the longer she kept it up.

"Really that funny, huh?"

"Hahahaha! Oh—ow!" Sera leaned back too far, causing her to fall on the unforgiving wooden floor. Checking for injury, she noted that there was likely going to be a nice bruise on her right arm in the morning.

Reno smirked. "Who's laughing now?"

With an irritated click of the tongue, she regained her composure as she settled herself back into her stool. "Oh, shut up. I do have a sense of humor anyway, even if it is warped."

"Warped, yeah, I can understand that," Rude spoke up quietly behind them. "And Sera...Reno's humor is more warped than yours. He just doesn't like to be laughed at."

"Do not, and this is why you shouldn't talk," Reno joked, pointing an accusing finger at his friend. "A magician never reveals his secrets."

Sera rolled her eyes. "If you're talking about yourself, yeah right. You're an open book now. Everyone knows what your personality is like."

He acted as though he was prepared to say something to refute her statement but soon gave up. "That's true. But, I'm just that type of guy. I can't be shut in, you know."

If she hadn't known any better, Sera would have assumed that he was insinuating that she was "shut in", meaning closed-off. What was more embarrassing was that he was (maybe?) telling her that she shouldn't be that way. She hoped she wasn't right about either of those surmises at all. Who was he to tell her how to live her life?

Scratching the back of her neck, she murmured, "Good for you. That just means you're one great big ball of energy, aren't you? Like...Like some nova. Well, guess what happens to novas?"

The most shocking part to her was that Reno caught on. "I'm not that reckless."

Too many metaphors in this conversation. Like a real supernova, Sera felt that her head would explode. Luckily, Tifa, after jotting down nearly everyone else's orders in their close-knit group, turned toward them.

In her heart of hearts, Sera was overwhelmingly relieved that she could return to their banter. "So, what are you ordering, Reno? You look like an appletini man to me."

Yuffie must have taken some interest because she asked, "Ser, are you saying that he's metrosexual?"

She suppressed a snort. "That's exactly what I'm saying. And that earring of yours"—she poked at his small hoop earring—"Very, very metrosexual."

Reno shook his head. "I'm not into those fruity drinks. I like whiskey, vodka occasionally when I'm feeling festive. So, whiskey for me, Teef."

"I'll have Burgundy," Sera put in her order.

"Wine, Serafin? Really?"

Hmph, and he acted so surprised. Then again, she was a woman with dignity and class, as she liked to call herself. She never wanted to stumble from obscene amounts of liquor. A situation that Reno probably found himself in more times than he could count, she could only imagine. She'd seen firsthand just how plastered he could get.

She wryly smirked. "Don't call me Serafin. Really. Anyway, I'm not much of a drinker. No point in overdoing it."

The bewildered look never quite left Reno's face. "I get that—hmph, I guess, not really. But...Not even to get buzzed?"

"Nope. But, with you, it's probably slightly more than buzzed. In fact—thanks"—Sera received her glass of red wine—"With you, you probably stagger out of the bar every night."

"When have you ever seen me do that?" he asked, scoffing.

"Once," she stated with a perfect poker face. "We were all here, like now, and you were nursing a broken heart…or your version of one anyway. Some girl named...Hell, I don't remember her name. Rachel? Whatever, you kept going on and on about her."

Reno propped his elbow up on the counter. "I was a little bummed out that time, yeah. And I didn't stagger. I remember. I tripped, but that was it. I was just buzzed."

Sera fixed him with a deadpan stare.

He shrugged. "A little more than buzzed."

"I call BS." She gazed at him intently to guilt trip him to the point of letting his not-so-secret out.

Raising his hands in surrender, he confessed, "OK, OK, I was pissed drunk. Would you say that, Rude?"

Rude nodded. "I had to carry you all the way back to your apartment."

Sera laughed. "Wow, that's not good. But, I guess you are usually good about holding your liquor, Reno."

Reno pretended to be shocked. "Well, well, well, I get a compliment out of you for once."

"I'm not all ice, let's just say that." She took a few sips from her glass, allowing herself to close her eyes. Though she really wasn't that much of a drinker, she loved wine. In a time that seemed far away from her now, she had tasted a little of it at a cousin's wedding when she was twelve. She guessed that wine made her feel connected with family memories, from a psychological standpoint.

Bringing her out of her reverie, Yuffie remarked to her, "You really like that stuff, don't you? Though, personally, I think you should be more adventurous."

Sera opened her eyes and nearly went into another giggle fit. She didn't know exactly what drink Yuffie had ordered, but she could recognize a sake bomb when she saw one. Yuffie's drink fizzed, almost bubbling over.

"Eighteen and you're already doing that." Sera shook her head in disbelief. "Jeez...But, forget it, Yuff. Reno probably experimented with sake bombs when he was thirteen. Just kids' stuff for him."

Tifa finished up talking to Cloud for now, as she turned her head their way again. After all, she was one busy bartender, constantly dividing her time between socializing and getting orders made for customers.

"Reno's never gonna hear the end of it from you, is he?"

Sera shrugged. "Eh, he can take it. Right, Re—? Oh."

With many conversations pervading the room, there was no possible way she could have heard his cellphone go off or paid attention to that fact. Currently, she noted that he was on it with presumably Rufus, judging how solemn his face looked.

"Uh-huh. Yeah. All right, all right, if you really want us to. K, later." Reno hung up, mentioning to Rude, "The boss assigned us a night job. God, I hate those. Interferes with my fun."

Almost distractedly, he laid around 200 gil on the counter to pay for the round of drinks. Then, he glanced over at Sera.

"I gotta go. Business stuff and all that. I'll see you around. See you, guys."

And just like that, Reno left. For once, in a disconcerting way, Sera was not happy with his departure, especially with his reason why. What pained her most was that she'd almost really become closer with him tonight yet in a manner that was nearly unsettling to her.

They'd laughed, bantered, and overall managed to have a non-hostile conversation for a change. At least on her part, she'd been a little less guarded around him because he hadn't discussed his job in great detail. He'd joked and smiled, his jovial self, the side that she liked most. The side that she dared to be attracted to…He had been carefree and laid-back without being an ass about it. And that was rare for Reno.

Tugging on her arm, Yuffie asked, "Hey, Sera, you OK?"

"I…" Sera gulped uncomfortably.

Were the emotions that obvious on her face? Why would she care so much, be so anxious over a Turk who could more than easily look after himself? Besides, her initial idea in coming to 7th Heaven was to have a good time and have some company in the form of her AVALANCHE friends. She hadn't predicted that he would make an appearance and somehow disrupt her whole night as well as her peace of mind.

No, she wouldn't lie and say she was fine. Lying was the one vice she'd hate to rely on, even if her present mindset was a direct result of Reno leaving for another assignment that would most likely, essentially involve crushing skulls.

At length, she responded, "I think I might want to go home."

"Awww, don't be like that!" Yuffie urged. "You just got here. And anyway"—she lowered her voice to a conspiratorial whisper—"You're not going to let some Turkey ruin your whole night, are you?"

Sera laughed, the worry lines fleeing from her face. "Hell no. Cheers."

The two young women clinked glasses and drank to being single women, not weighed down by the duplicity and idiocy of men. Why not? She would stay here for a couple more hours, as Yuffie had suggested.

In the meantime, Tifa sent her a knowing look across the counter nearby. It was the kind of look that hinted that she speculated that her friend was ever so slowly falling for Reno. Sera half-smiled at Tifa in the knowledge that that stare signified just that: speculation. She was well-aware that the bartender only looked out for her and protected her in a sisterly way. Sera had been hurt in her life, broken down, and experienced the most devastating blows of anyone she ever knew with very few exceptions. She'd learned to be tough the hard way.

Thus, she would continue on that path, keeping on this armor. And Reno would not in any way puncture it. She would make sure of that.

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><p><strong>AN: I made an inevitably cheesy Cheers reference but whatever. Don't judge me and my love for older sitcoms. XD As for sake bombs, the only reason I knew the existence of those was through a movie. I thought they looked cool, so I wanted to put that there.**

**OK, so I'll be updating next Friday. See you then, everyone.**


	5. Sera Gets Floored

**A/N: OK, so this chapter will not be all that eventful. But, it will have some interesting conversations and plenty of laughs, I hope.**

**Edited on 7/6/2013. Note: Didn't need to edit this as much, this was where the story slightly improved.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 4: Sera Gets Floored<strong>

Sera spent the next two weeks grappling with her mixed emotions. Yuffie had been right about Reno not being a bad guy. Quite frankly, that Saturday night, he was being charming and not in a put-on way. At times, he had seemed sincere throughout their conversation. And (dare she admit it) his self-deprecation was funny, which made it sexy.

Yes, she still hated what he did for a living. And yes, she still despised his barfly ways and how arrogant he could be. Nonetheless, through her annoyance at his cocky behavior, she enjoyed their banter. It was the central core of every single conversation they'd ever had. Somehow, Sera knew she couldn't be that way with anyone else. Reno challenged her to be that clever.

Her stubbornness was her Achilles heel, a fact she had assured herself over these two weeks. There was no reason for her to be as disdainful toward him as she could be sometimes. She had planned to set herself against him the second time in her life she'd ever encountered him, as soon as she'd seen his Turk uniform. Her judgment had always told her that Shinra Inc. was evil, that all it did was destroy what was pure and idyllic. So, whoever aligned themselves with Shinra must possess a ruthless personality. That was how she'd molded her philosophy into what it was toward the Turks. Or used to be...

Normally, once Sera established her opinion on something, it was final, unshakeable. With this one on the Turks, she was beginning to question herself, becoming inevitably conflicted. She'd never really met Tseng and Elena, but Reno had talked positively about them. Rude, though mysterious and not the chattiest person in the world, seemed genuinely amicable albeit pensive. And Reno himself...

One look into those teal eyes, and she knew the truth all along. She'd chosen to ignore it for two years.

Guilt that resulted from her recent discovery compelled Sera to throw herself more into her line of work. Though it was neither an intense job nor one that had her in a managerial position, she could still be a somewhat of a workaholic. Especially when she wanted to block out complicated emotions or stress such as the Reno problem.

It was true. Reno had been demoted from an almost-friend to a problem in her eyes. Could she place the rest of her trust in him? She'd trusted him a little already but not enough.

So, she had to work these problems off. Every day except for Sundays, Sera worked at the rebuilt items shop. It was more than just potions and ethers. The comfortably sized shop sold medicines and herbal remedies, concoctions that could be created from organic ingredients.

In a way, she was kind of an apothecary but mainly served as more of an assistant to her boss Mrs. Liran. Basically, not only did she help with compounding materials, Sera worked at the cash register, too.

It was a good thing that she kept herself preoccupied, since she needed to be concerned over earning money for herself and Grandma. That stability of having a job comforted her, making her feel almost normal in this otherwise dead, hopeless city.

This tranquility her job usually brought her was disrupted one Wednesday morning, however, when Sera was stocking shelves. The hi-potions were on the top shelf, vitamins down lower...Nothing could be perfect without organization. Mrs. Liran believed this and so did she. Was having two Type A personalities working in the same shop a bad thing? Sera would have to think about that.

The bell on the door jingled with a customer commenting, "I didn't think you'd be in this kind of work, Serafin. Somehow, I thought you'd be working at a gym."

Great, the problem apparently just walked into the items shop, looking for herbal supplements. Or maybe he wanted ether.

Sera couldn't stop the quirk of a smile that flitted across her lips. "I'm sorry, sir, but it's ill-advised to spike any of the potions we have in stock. It's the fastest way to get into a coma."

"Oooh, not good." She could see his red head over the top of a shelf in the adjacent aisle. "I always wanted to know if vodka would take the bad taste out of a potion. I hate having to take one. That's why I try to avoid getting hurt. Can't stand the taste of that stuff."

Sera giggled out of genuine amusement. "Well, no one said that medicine tasted like candy. If that was the case, all the teenagers would come in here to, ah, experiment."

"A low opinion of teenagers, too? Jeez, Sera, if I didn't know you any better, I'd say you hate everyone."

"It's not hate." She walked down the aisle she was in to approach him. "I like to laugh. So, I guess I just made a joke on their expense."

It felt rather odd for her to be remotely excited over Reno dropping by yet again. Why wasn't she annoyed? Instead, she found herself in a bright mood, glad that the banter was back. She actually thought she would be angrier with him for setting off for work in the middle of their socializing the last time.

"Why are you here anyway?" Sera asked, nearing the end of the aisle and about to turn toward the one where he was walking down.

She could sense the shrug on the other side. "Thought I'd stop by before I do my next job."

Another brain shot out, no doubt. She quickly strode the rest of the way...

And the two of them bumped into each other.

Murmuring, "Are you kidding me?" under her breath, she embarrassedly stepped away from Reno while he muttered a quick apology. She swore that she'd seen stars once their bodies clashed.

"Well, um, that's not exactly what I asked...," Sera continued, feeling awkward from that moment of being a total klutz. "How did you know where I worked?"

"A friend told me," he told her, though his face looked blank.

She smirked, crossing her arms. "You're stalking me."

"What? Serafin, babe, let's not jump to conclusions."

"Don't you 'babe' me." With slow, careful steps, she walked around him in a small circle, ready to display her evidence. "You eavesdropped on me and Tifa that one day. You showed up at the bar since I just so happened to be there. And now, you're here at my place of employment. If I didn't know _you _any better, I'd say you've gotten"—for more dramatic effect, she coyly lifted her amber eyes to meet his teal ones—"attached."

Of course, as to be expected, Reno didn't produce the slightly intimidated reaction she looked for. Rather, he grinned, his teeth shining white under the dim lighting of the shop.

"I'd say you're attached if you're creating your own fantasy of me."

Sera snorted in an almost disdainful sort of way. "Wow, you know how to make yourself sound appealing. You think you're a babe magnet and that every woman is going to throw herself at you. Unbelievable."

"Not true. I actually don't have too much time on my hands. Work's demanding."

That caused her to drop the pretense of taunting. "Yeah, guess it would be. There're a lot of people against big, bad Rufus, and they have to be killed, right? Of course, since Rufus is too white-collar to do the actual killing, he has you guys to do it for him. Right?"

With a frustrated sigh, Reno leaned back against the shelf of the golden elixirs and ran a hand through his long red ponytail. "Look, Sera, we've been through this. I. Can't. Quit. Wouldn't dream of it anyway."

"Mm, I get it." Her eyes crinkling at the corners, she went back to teasing. "Your job is one big party that never stops. Get a whole conga line of bodies going."

"Hmph." He snorted, yet a vague smile played on his lips. "You are warped. 'Sides, it's not like we kill people _all _the time. We only do that twice a month, I'd say."

"How comforting. And I know how good at lying you are. I say you kill more often than that."

"Here's the thing." Ignoring her snide remark, Reno removed a bottle of elixir from the shelf and resolved to toss it up and down in the air. "The Turks are like the Mafia, only less stupid. And less like drama queens. You get in, you learn all their secrets, and there's only one way you get out."

He then mimed shooting himself in the head. "Blam! You're toast."

"Please don't say that in my boss' store, thanks." Sera laughed somewhat nervously. "She'll think I'm being held hostage by a robber."

Reno waved a dismissive hand, as though implicating he couldn't care less. "Point is, I'll probably be in it for life."

"Great. Now, either buy or get the hell out. I got bottles to stock, and you're lucky my boss is outside in the back garden right now. If she even heard a word of what we were talking about..."

He groaned, "Really? Kicking me out, Serafin? I guess I'm here procrastinatin' when I should be on the job. I should have asked you how you came to work in this place."

Sera's amused expression evaporated completely. "Because no one else would hire me. Mrs. Liran is one of the few people who actually like me in this dump. And yeah, Reno, I would work at the gym...If half the people there didn't want to beat me up."

Sera was loath to sound self-pitying, but it seemed all that came out of her mouth pertaining to herself was bitter. She hated to be such a downer, but she just couldn't help it some days.

Reno gazed at her thoughtfully before commenting, "Two years and I still don't know much about you. Besides your name, that's it. And well..."

Her amber eyes widened in shock due to a sudden realization. He'd acted like he was about to add on to what else he knew about her besides her name. If she was right, then that meant...

He remembered seven years ago.

"Um...Uh, hey, don't let the door hit you on the ass on the way out." Sera attempted at a joking smile that looked more like a cringe.

Reno half-smiled in response. "I think you were right about one thing, though. You haven't seen the last of me."

As he made his way to the exit, he whistled rather cheerfully without a care in the world. He had to be up to something.

"See, I knew it! Stalker!" Sera yelled at him but, again, light-heartedly.

"Later to you too, Serafin."

She couldn't help but shake her head at the usage of that simply dreadful nickname. It sounded perfectly tacky to her. At the same time, after two years of Reno obnoxiously calling her that, "Serafin" finally started to grow on her.

And, just maybe, so did the man who insisted on saying that to her almost every single time they saw each other.

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><p>Around three, Mrs. Liran let Sera off work, much to the young woman's contentment. She loved working and everything, but returning home to Grandma was her absolute favorite part of the day. No errands today, for Grandma had volunteered to do them this morning. It was an agreement they'd had, a trade-off when it came to chores.<p>

Once she stepped through the door, she sang out, "Afternoon, Grandma," as though she was over the moon. It was just so pleasant to have a home to return to every afternoon. Better than no home at all.

Grandma, as usual, looked up from her crocheting. "Oh, you're back, Sera. I have something to tell you."

"Yeah?" She took off her green work apron that served as her uniform. "Anything important?"

"You'll be interested, I think." Her grandmother's radiant green eyes twinkled. "I ran into a friend of yours while I was headed to the grocer's this morning. He looked kind of disheveled, redheaded...Nice man, though. I don't see him in town too often, I don't believe."

That made sense. No one who lived outside of Midgar came to the godforsaken place too often. People still doubted its safety. Not even the Turks went out of their way to drop by the site of their former headquarters any more.

"Oh, Reno." Sera settled herself down into the worn blue recliner catty-corner from her grandmother's rocking chair. "Yeah, he doesn't come by too often. Then again, no one does. That's why I drive over to Edge to socialize."

"Well, anyway"—was Grandma about to giggle?—"He did ask me where you worked, for future reference, he said. And then, after we talked for a while, he came up with a brilliant suggestion."

Uh-oh, this didn't sound good. "What is it?"

"He said he wanted to drop by here for dinner Friday night. Isn't that sweet? I couldn't refuse since that was a fine suggestion. He wanted to get to know us better, that was how he phrased it."

"He WHAT?!"

Sera stood bolt upright from her chair, amber eyes flashing and glinting in the reflected sunlight from the nearest window. She could not believe this—indeed, she was floored. Didn't that...that impossible Turk realize how tentative their friendship was? The way he'd planned this out, it was almost like he would treat this like...like...

God forbid, a date!

Grandma perked an eyebrow up, puzzled. "What's the matter, Sera? I thought it was very sweet of him to want to be in your life more often. I've never seen you with a boyfriend before, which is quite unusual for someone your age."

Sera placed her hands rebelliously on her hips. "It's not, Grandma. I value my single status. And he's not my boyfriend! He's just a friend...sort of. I guess he is. He's just moving too fast or...or something! I-I...I don't know what to say."

However, her vulnerability revealed itself when she clutched onto the chocobo necklace. It was as though she was asking her mother for help. She breathed evenly through her nostrils to try calming herself down.

Concernedly, her grandmother continued to stare at her. "I honestly don't see what the problem is with this arrangement, sweetie. I agreed to it. At least he had the decency and politeness to ask for my permission first."

"Yeah, but not mine," she replied shortly, turning sharply on her heel toward the short flight of steps that led to the second floor. Her room was up there, and she desperately needed her privacy at this troubling time. To think and to plan out her next objective, including how to reject Reno's offer. 7th Heaven usually opened up around five, so she had two hours to figure out how to phrase this before she called there.

At the same time, she didn't have two hours. She needed to call him. Now.

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><p><strong>AN: Ah-ha! Reno deciding to drop in at Sera's house without her permission. This should get really, really interesting.**

**I'm off to visit a college campus tomorrow, so I won't be updating tomorrow. Just saying. Until then, see you guys.**


	6. The Next Level of Passive Aggression

**A/N: So, to be honest, I haven't been working on this story that much. I'm a high school senior, so I'm extremely busy with prom, graduation, college, life, etc. So, in other words (whew), I'm going to my prom tomorrow so I'm updating. I wonder if I'll ever have time to work on this story, honestly.**

**Edited on 7/7/13. Note: This was initially meant to be a short chapter anyway, so I didn't make too many alterations. Enough to make me happy anyway.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 5: The Next Level of Passive Aggression<strong>

Despite the fact that she lived with her grandmother in the slums, Sera was aware that looks could be deceiving. Over half of Midgar was slums, had always been in that shoddy condition anyway. Because of the windfall, thankfully, they had plenty of money to spend. But, both women preferred to live thrifty.

Sera had gotten her cellphone two years ago, her newest one. It helped her save on gas for her motorcycle, so she didn't have to travel back and forth so much. After all, it would be a pain if she had to drive to Edge all the time just to talk with Tifa, usually. There was no point in wasting gil on something like communication.

Currently, Sera sat on the edge of her bed, after just dialing the 7the Heaven number and waiting impatiently for anybody to pick up. Despite the comfort of her bed, she looked far from cozy. Her shoulders tensed from the explosive rage that seethed within her. She gripped the edge of the bed tightly, her eyes trained on the cellphone in her hand.

"Come on," she grumbled, teeth anxiously biting down on her bottom lip.

Honestly, she would love to hear Reno's explanation as to why he'd decided that a lousy dinner would worm its way into her good graces. It was too un-Reno-like. He could be amicable but sweet? Doubtful, there was always an ulterior motive with him. Being among the ranks of the Turks surely pounded that into his head.

Although she did share a friendship with him, she wasn't a blind fool to ignore what he was capable of being. He had an assassin's mind, cunning and dangerous and very dark. Oh sure, he could play carefree and fun, but he was ignoring the deeper issues. Or just pushing them to the back of his mind temporarily.

All in all, if Reno intended on having the Friday night dinner be a date, Sera would not allow it. She couldn't go out with someone caught up in morbid dealings.

"Hello?" Once Sera heard Tifa's voice on her cellphone, she held it up to her ear. "Sera? What is it?"

"I'm sorry," she apologized right away. "It seems like a certain redhead keeps getting in the way of us talking here lately. But hey, he won't leave me alone."

Tifa sighed on the other end. "I have never witnessed a stranger friendship like the one between you two."

"Yeah, tell me about it. So, anyway, is he here now by any chance?"

Inwardly, Sera hoped that this wasn't the case, even though she was somewhat eager to give Reno a piece of her mind. Still, it was better for his sake that he was out on a job that could take hours to complete. Rufus and his lackeys liked to take down grass-roots terrorist groups these days. That actual process could last a while, especially if it involved evading cheaply made pipe bombs and TNT.

However, luck was most certainly not on her side this late afternoon. "He's here, actually. You know how he has a habit of showing up early."

_Among many of his other charming habits, _Sera thought half-cynically yet half-fondly.

"Get me on the phone with him. He's in big trouble. Seriously, B-I-G. And tell him I said that, too."

She smirked as she heard Tifa's laughter. "OK, I'll get him on there for you."

It was a shame that he wasn't still in town. Otherwise, she would give him a thrashing that he wouldn't soon forget. No, she had to settle on yelling at him over the phone. As she breathed out the tension she'd built up, she wondered if smoke streamed out of her nostrils.

Those thoughts flew away from her when Sera heard his suave drawl greet, "Yo, Serafin. Can't get enough of me today? That it?"

And suddenly, she recalled why she was furious with him. "No, but obviously, you can't get enough of me."

Even five miles away from him, she could hear the taunting grin in his voice. "Ah, adding on to your fantasy, are you? I'm guessing the next installment to your little novel involves the bedroom somehow."

Ugh, that cocky bastard. Her hands started trembling from the fiery ire she suppressed. But, she couldn't hold it together any more.

She screamed, "RENO, YOU IDIOT!"

"What?" Reno sounded confused. "I was just playing with you."

"Then tell me why the hell you told my grandmother that you were going to drop by here, _at our house_, Friday night?"

"You better tell her, Reno," Tifa gently chided in the background. "Her temper must be through the roof right now."

No kidding. Sera felt as though she could punch a hole through one of the plaster walls in her bedroom. She firmly crossed her legs, amber eyes glinting dangerously.

He was really, really lucky that he was at 7th Heaven this minute.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity to her, Reno remarked flippantly, "First of all, I gotta say that you're taking your whole passive-aggressive routine to a whole 'nother level. Congrats."

"Just straight-up answer me when I ask you a question!" Sera winced at how whiny she must have sounded.

"OK, OK, jeez...Look, I'm curious about you. Not to mention I'm your friend, so I have the right to hang out at your place. 'Sides, your gram tells me you ain't got much of a social life, Serafin. I agree with her on that one."

Her blood pressure was possibly skyrocketing to a hazardous level, since she could feel pure molten heat throbbing in her veins. She was like a bull in the ring, only this bull noticed that everyone, even the audience, was waving red cloths in front of him. Like that metaphorical bull, Sera was desperate to charge at him and show off her fighting skills. Over the last couple of years or so, she had ensured to train every muscle in her body. She knew she had the strength to take him on, especially when she considered his lanky frame. Perhaps it proved beneficial to him in terms of moving fluidly, but she could probably match that grace move for move.

"Who's the passive-aggressive one here anyway?" she asked, referring to Reno's offhand comments that were rapidly getting under her skin, swimming in her pulsing veins. "Here's the thing, Reno. You call Grandma right now and tell her you won't be able to make it on Friday. Because she's already thinking I'm planning on dating you."

She thought she vaguely heard the sound of a lighter clicking. "And that's a bad thing because...?"

Wow, Sera could come up with a whole list of reasons as to why she would not only be ill-advised to date him but to flat-out refuse that offer. The mere thought didn't tempt her at all. That moronic Turk should count his blessings that she'd even decided he was all right enough to be her friend, let alone be anything more than that.

"Oh, that's easy," she replied near-viciously. "First off, you smoke. Not all the time but enough to be annoying. You drink. You're cocky and arrogant and borderline rude. You put words that don't even exist in my mouth, thank you very much. Oh, and the whole Turk thing."

There was an uncanny pause before he said shortly, "Right. OK. But, try telling me all that in front of Grams."

"Her name is Mrs. Ashcroft! Don't be disrespectful to her!"

Sera clapped her hand over her mouth, utterly mortified. That last sentence implied a sort of future tense, didn't it? Though Reno could be stupid, he could also pick up on the subtleties and nuances in conversation. Fully qualified assassins had to be able to read people. It was practically an implicit job requirement, to summarize what someone was hiding (or feeling or thinking) based on body language and tone of voice. Or, in her case, let loose a Freudian slip.

He didn't let her get away with it either. "So, I guess you _will_ be expecting me Friday night. You care, babe, admit it."

Oh, this man...This terribly irksome man was going to be the death of her. In fact, speaking to Reno for not even quite five minutes drove Sera down to an excruciating migraine. Splaying her fingers on her forehead, she proceeded to massage it in the hopes of ridding herself of these aggravating stressors.

"Who says I'm going to talk to you at all?" she inquired of him, attempting to conceal the exhaustion she was feeling. "I could just ignore you the whole time. You're not going to stay long."

Downstairs, Grandma set the tea kettle, and she could hear it whistling from her room. Something told her that the elderly woman had been eavesdropping on her conversation. After all, sometimes when Grandma would put on tea, it was used to calm her down.

Reno had a direct answer. "You know you like me, babe. You can't resist talking to me."

"Don't 'babe' me again, Reno, or I swear that when you show up, I will sic the guard dog on you."

"A million gil says you don't have a guard dog at all."

"...Shut up, Reno," she moaned, now rubbing at her temples.

He chuckled, which was a rather pleasant sound when not meant to be sardonic. "I'll see you Friday at six then. It's my off-duty night anyway."

"Just get off the phone before I go literally insane."

"Talk to you soon, Serafin, my angelic little biker chick."

"What the—? Re—!"

A quiet _click_ and he was off the phone in an almost too timely fashion. It was true that Reno's irritating nickname for her was like the word "seraphim." Nonetheless, she was no angel, and didn't the man know that by now?

"God help me," she sighed, falling back onto her bed to recuperate from all that energy she'd wasted in yelling at him.

She, for one, tired of the whole like/hate shtick she seemed to want to have with him. Though however comical their banter could be to the casual observer, Sera assumed she had a serious issue. It all had to do with that main component of trust. Part of her longed to give that immaterial yet valuable item to him, since he wasn't that much of a cold-hearted person. He had never hit her or got so scathing with her to the point that she never wanted to see him again.

Sera stared up at the ceiling, idly placing a hand on her stomach with the other hand cupping the back of her head. It was a relaxed pose, yet she didn't feel completely comfortable in that state. She felt conflicted. Why did Reno have to be so funny yet frustrating? Biting yet sincere?

Bad (or should be) yet genuinely good?

Though this morning, he had acted as if he'd thought she was an enigma. In so many ways, so was he. His past was clouded, unknown to her and to everyone in general. Whatever it consisted, it had shaped him into the man he was.

Perhaps his mysteriousness was the most obnoxious part about him.

Sera couldn't get too serious with or about him, she understood that. He would hide from her, lie to her, or whatever else because there was no way he had properly coped with his past. All the signs pointed to that.

Then again, neither had she.

She gripped the chocobo pendant until her knuckles turned white, muttering, "Mom."

"Sera, sweetie!" Grandma called up the stairs toward her closed bedroom door. "How would you like some orange pekoe?"

Tea did soothe her in a way hardly anything else could. With a wry smile, Sera got up in order to head down and drink some of her favorite tea.

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><p><strong>AN: Next chapter, there will actually be some physical action. Exciting stuff. Until then, bye for now.**


	7. Conflicted

**A/N: Hey, guys, prom was awesome. I learned it's especially enjoyable if you go alone. And that some restaurants are better to be avoided than others. Anyway, my schedule has been busy. This story might have to go on hiatus, since I haven't been manually writing in it for quite some time.**

**Edited 7/7/13. Note: I was actually proud of this chapter from the very beginning, and I found I didn't have much to change in the way of awkward wording or lack of description or anything. I've been more than happy with this one, and that hasn't changed.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 6: Conflicted<strong>

What somewhat vexed Sera about navigating through Midgar was sidling past many people. Narrow pathways crisscrossed each other with hordes upon hordes of the population walking them. To get from point A to point B, no matter how short, was a hassle.

According to Sera, there were two types of people in this world: those who would politely say "excuse me" while tiptoeing past a ridiculously packed crowd and those who would roughly push you out of the way without warning. She was most definitely a pusher. Her manners weren't bred in the slums, as she was an out-of-towner who had parents with lovely manners. However, Midgar life had hardened her, given her a thicker skin.

"Out of the way," she said particularly loudly to a group of teenage boys who acted like they were so tough by cursing at her. "And keep your potty mouths shut. Your mommies might be close by."

The discontent that yesterday's phone call to Reno had caused forcibly persuaded her to head on over to the gym. She needed to train in order to take her rage out on limp straw dummies. And obviously, she wasn't going to have any of it with the citizens and their disrespect today. When set on a goal, Sera usually saw it through to the end.

Squaring her jaw and tilting her head up higher, she passed these pathetic, judgmental imbeciles without a care in the world. Often accused of thinking herself high and mighty above everyone else, she allowed them to keep believing the rumor. If anything, a rumored ego could make her have even more street cred than she already did.

"Yeah, you go to hell, too!" she called out to a man she accidentally bumped in the shoulder and who wished her vile sentiments for it.

When the man shouted back, Sera simply rolled her eyes. "Uh-huh, yeah, I'm a freak. I'm not the one with the damn mohawk, am I?"

Fortunately, before the green-mohawked man could challenge her to a fistfight, she arrived at the gym. With a brittle smile, she entered to find the resident boxers and weightlifters, those who dreamed of going pro but would never reap any success from all the working out. They were only squandering their time, wasting their lives until they snapped a tendon or broke an arm or a leg. A vengeful part of Sera wished these misfortunes on the athletes as soon as they noticed her arrival. As was to be anticipated, most were not welcoming over this.

In fact, one thug commented, "Oh, you again. Can't believe you bother coming here."

"Oi, shouldn't you be in the kitchen?" another one chimed in, causing all those other useless meatheads to collectively laugh.

Sera let her sharp amber eyes drift among all ten men sneering at her and mocking her. Well, she didn't generally resort to this tactic, but she was in a sadistic mood today. Why not?

She pulled out her twin daggers that she called Gemini, the honed edges glinting threateningly in the light. All guffawing and chuckling ceased.

After scathingly imitating their laughter, she chose to stand up for herself. "What's the matter, boys? You don't want to challenge me to a fight? Hmph, I reckon you wouldn't want to beat up a girl anyway. Actually, it's better that I don't fight you. After all, little girls shouldn't play with knives…for a reason."

Replacing the daggers in the pouches of her belt, she clasped her hands behind her back and jutted out her bottom lip in a total mockery of a guileless young girl. Irreverent was her middle name as far as she was concerned. Disregarding the dropped jaws of the men, Sera mounted the stairs that led to the top floor, her head held high.

This floor happened to be reserved for her and her alone, no thanks or thanks (whichever made more logical sense) to the gym members patronizing her. A punching bag dangled in the middle of the room with objects that resembled scarecrows in the back corner.

In another corner, a set of weights stood, waiting to be utilized at some point. All this Sera took in a single glance, much to her satisfaction. No graffiti on the walls this time, calling her a "demon bitch" and telling her to kindly "get out", the censored edition of the real phrase, of course. This was what she saw the last time she'd come, and she had complained to the owner about it.

Now, not a spot of sprayed-on color remained on these walls.

When Sera had initially started going to the gym, she was met with the typical animosity. In mere minutes, she was nearly literally thrown out by the buff regulars. With Gemini on hand, she had approached the owner the next afternoon to see about a practice room where she could toss her daggers at dummies. Sure enough, the second floor fell into her possession, though this drove many of the men away from there permanently.

More unjustly yet, she'd had to save up money in order to nonetheless pay the 200 gil membership fee. Else, she couldn't work out at the gym at all, unlike the regulars with whom a membership fee was optional. That was how mercilessly people treated her.

Approaching the straw-stuffed cloth dummies, she strategically placed them at certain spots throughout the room. With the seven dummies in suitable locations, Sera unsheathed her daggers, her eyes narrowing in concentration.

When it came to training to being the fittest, most indomitable fighter she could possibly be, she was intensely serious. The next time a monster ever attacked this city, the citizens would be on their knees thanking her and begging her for forgiveness when she saved them all from it.

It was most definitely isolating, being the city outcast. Wherever she went, from Mrs. Rosenbaum's Grocery to the gym to even a restaurant, she encountered taut, cruel faces or turned backs.

Releasing a tense sigh, concentrating all her adrenaline on the first "victim" dummy, Sera pretended it was the man with the mohawk. Then, boldly, she hurled one half of Gemini with all her strength, and it stuck in the dummy's chest.

She smirked, whispering menacingly, "Take that, bastard."

It was a rare moment for her, one when her resentment toward Midgar (the dump) was at an all-time high. When it showed through her long daggers impaling helpless dummies, straw flying everywhere. A demented facet to her was expressed, a side that hated the world thoroughly and loathed to distribute mercy upon anybody.

She knew better than anyone that she had the disturbing capability to become a villain. Her physical strength and her inner rage, her struggle with adversity and her misfortunes that insisted on running her life to break her spirit...These qualities added up to comprise a tormented young woman who had lost her place in the world. She had no significance, no meaning to Midgar or even to Gaia. According to many, she was less than human, her worth amounting to so little.

At the same time, Sera could recognize innocence, which she would strive to protect by any means necessary. However, when she had fought off the monsters that trickled into Midgar, she had received no gratitude.

Only blame against her actions. How innocent was that?

All the jeers she had gotten afterwards. All the accusations that the monster was more than willing to target her, thus she brought it here. She was part demon. She was a witch who summoned vicious beings to destroy everything.

With every scathing word, every ludicrous lie, she got knocked down peg after peg after peg.

"Dammit!" she screamed upon dwelling on the flashbacks, removing the dagger from the dummy, whose head she soon decapitated. Her chest heaving, she threw the other dagger at another dummy two feet away.

A freak, they'd called her as well. Too enigmatic and too powerful for she had exuded unnatural energy when battling the distorted creatures whose names couldn't even be placed. Well, she would show them. By herself, she would prove to the whole world that she did have worth. She never wanted to feel lost or mistreated ever again in her life.

She would find her way by creating a destiny that would prove all the naysayers wrong.

Gloved fists raining down on the punching bag, Sera also performed a couple of roundhouse kicks. Maybe this had more to do with something else besides Reno, who was the original reason why she'd felt the inclination to train. He had angered her yesterday, for she could tell that the dinner visit would be just a joke, one at her expense. She was one more conquest to him, another woman to bed. Well, he thought wrong. Did he honestly take her to be naïve?

Ha! Naïve was when she'd been a girl.

Loud, borderline obnoxious grunts emitted from her as she kicked and punched, faster and harder with each attempt. Strands of her light brown hair plastered to her sweaty forehead, but she ignored them. All her energy was focused on the swinging bag...

...Until it abruptly hit her on the chin, knocking her back.

Cursing like ten sailors, Sera panted, starting to sense her energy wane. Fine, fine, she would take a break. If there had still been other trainees in the room with her, she would have kept going for the sake of pride. But, she would relax.

Breathe in and out...In and out...In...Out...

Straddling her legs on the wooden floor, she stretched them out along with her arms, doing the types of techniques she was familiar with. Her heart raced from the strenuous activity she had accomplished so far. She'd trained too hard again, foolish enough to use as much seemingly boundless energy as she could in such a short time.

It was amazing how much fury she kept inside, and when she did release it through exercise, it came out all at once. As though she'd trapped the wind in a box, held onto it, and then poured it all out again. Just as quickly and just as recklessly.

Damn, Reno might not be the developing supernova. She was in more ways than one. It was unhealthy, this single-mindedness to prove her worth and to show how superior she was to everyone.

And yet, those two traits indeed reminded her of somebody else she knew. She thought back to that second encounter...

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><p><em>Midgar, four years ago<em>

Sera strolled about the city sidewalks, appreciating the sights around her. People stopped their friends to talk to them. Lovers kept close to each other, sharing something that looked like a walking embrace.

Excessive public displays of affection caused her to turn her head away with a contemplative smile. Though she was new in town, had been for roughly three years, she unexpectedly liked it here. She did receive the occasional strange look but nothing too condescending. More outgoing citizens would offer her a friendly hello, which warmed her.

Friendliness gave her hope that she could belong, one day. And when that day came, her life could be fully put back together. It would be like living at her hometown that she kept longing for in her dreams. Life there had been like a perfectly constructed puzzle with none of the pieces missing.

As she absentmindedly daydreamed, she swore she glimpsed a shock of vibrant scarlet hair.

Sera's breath hitched ever so slightly in her throat, her heart beating rapidly with manic excitement. She hadn't seen too many redheads in her time, so this had to be her acquaintance from just a few years ago. The one guy she would owe to for the rest of her life. Also, he had been rather kind to her, or else why would he have bothered saving her life in the first place?

Curious, she followed the mystery person to the outskirts of town. Once she saw the uniformed body that went with the red head, she automatically frowned.

Turk with a lanky body. It had to be him. Back then, she'd thought she had a chance in hell to befriend him in the future. So much for that. Old acquaintance or not, she couldn't exactly let an opportunity to lecture him slip by.

Her mouth set in a grim line, she stepped warily toward him as she asked coldly, "Tell me, how much gil does killing people rake in?"

As the man turned around to face her, he showed no indication of surprise. He must have known she'd tailed him.

"Reno," she muttered under her breath, still somewhat in disbelief.

He appeared virtually unaffected by her question, an arrogant smirk crossing his features. "Interested in joining, are you?"

"Hell no." Sera lifted her chin defiantly. "Answer my question."

She couldn't trust anyone in the world, could she? Everyone was bound to betray her in some way or another. Either through leaving or joining up with an elite group of assassins, they were trying to break her heart. But, she was now seasoned at picking up the pieces. Reno was no exception, considering she didn't know him that well. Her amber eyes stayed transfixed on him.

Shrugging, he said, "OK, can't say I didn't try. We're always looking for new recruits, you know. All right, I'll answer your wise-ass question. 2500 gil a job, usually. Sometimes, it varies."

The two of them stood three feet away from each other, their cool eyes locked. Sera could feel the distance, and she privately acknowledged that they were both alike in that they were detached. In contrasting ways, neither of them seemed to be big fans of openness. The sun shined down on them, hot and burning. Like her hatred for Shinra Inc., in which she didn't have much faith, along with Turks in general.

She nodded in response. "So, 2500 a body, basically. Got it. So, it'll probably be 15,000 gil by the end of the week, right?"

Reno actually glared at her, much to her amusement. "15,000? I don't make that much a week. That's like a month's pay for me."

"Whatever." Sera flicked back hair hanging in her eyes. "I wonder if you feel any regret."

"'No regrets' is a motto I tend to live by."

"Really? OK, I'll pretend I believe that. So, do you enjoy killing or are you just in it for the uniform?"

His smirk returned almost as quickly as it had vanished. "What if it's both, sweetheart?"

Rudely and crudely, he winked at her, not even trying to hide his teal eyes traveling up and down her body. He'd turned into such a pig. Then again, people could change in three years. Who knew he would go from seeing her past her physical appearance to maintaining his focus on her chest?

"Actually," Sera replied in a vindictive tone, "you look like a selfish, greedy bastard. I'd say you're just in it for the money."

"Mm." Reno's smirk widened. "You're right on. I can rely on my job. Pays the bills."

"Pays the bills," Sera quipped, quoting his words right back at him. "Being a construction worker pays the bills. Being a shopkeeper pays the bills. No, they're paying you pretty well in your, ah, profession. Better than any other lame job. You Turks are all cats. You like to play with your prey before killing it."

His smirk lost some of its bite. "I don't do that."

"You're also skilled liars too, so don't give me that crap."

Tilting his head to each side, Reno popped his neck while adjusting the regulation shades on his forehead. "You have a very low opinion of Turks."

He flat-out stated it as though her words weren't having an emotional effect on him. As to be expected. Sera liked to say she kept informed about things like the Turks and SOLDIER. Shinra's trained forces could probably turn off their emotions at will. Heck, they'd probably been in their field for so long, they simply didn't have much humanity left.

"Well, yeah, all you're just doing is the president's dirty work because all he's concerned about is cold, hard cash flowing. He doesn't have time to take out terrorists. So, he has you trained seals do the work. You know this. Arf, arf." Sera disdainfully imitated a seal to prove her point, a fake grin plastered on her face.

"'M not a seal," Reno muttered irritably.

"Then, how about I call you a dog? More fitting, right? Son of a bitch, that's what you'd be. Ha, literally."

This taunting and teasing was strangely, sickly fun for her. However, all that mockery was designed as one extensive bluff she'd been keeping up the whole time she conversed with him. Inside, Sera was confused, hurt even, that Reno willingly chose this path for himself.

Out of the blue, he mentioned, "The Turks are where I belong. That's where I've been accepted for once in my whole damn life. And I could go on with my little sob story, 'cept I don't have much of one. This is what I'll do for the rest of my life. Can't quit anyway."

Sera rolled her eyes. "And that's just fine with you. Right, right, then, next time I see you, it'll be in hell."

As she turned back toward Midgar, her bitterness returning with full force, she thought she heard him stifle a sound. Was it to scream at her? A gasp? Or...Or did he recognize her?

"Hey, wait. You look familiar. What's your name?" Reno asked.

"I'll give you a fake name, so I don't have to worry about you killing me in the middle of the night."

"Won't kill ya, I promise. Turk's honor." He mockingly placed two fingers above where his heart was.

Sera laughed scornfully. "K, fine, on your bullshit honor. But...It's Serafina. Serafina Ashcroft."

And that was all she had to say to him. Without further ado, she idly walked back the way she came.

Unbeknownst to her, the redheaded Turk muttered, "Ashcroft...Yeah, yeah, I know her. I...She...What? That means...Ah, fuck."

* * *

><p>In present day, Sera leaned forward in her straddled position to stretch out her back. When she heard a couple kinks pop, she winced.<p>

That memory in her mind made her wince, too. With that second encounter, she'd met the man Reno had become. Would she ever really be able to trust him completely? Should she even allow him to come to her home, where her beloved grandma lived, too?

She just didn't know.

"God, Reno, why do you have to be so half-decent?" she inquired to the graffiti-free wall facing her.

No answer. Like with everything else.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: So yeah, more adult language than usual. I think I warned you guys ahead of time that it would be closer to M at parts, but I don't remember. Anyway, in the flashback, this is more of the FF7 Reno here. I don't know why he was characterized differently in Advent Children, but the difference is actually very slight. He's just as cynical and sarcastic (mainly to Cloud) in the movie as he is in the game. But, yeah, I thought Reno had to be characterized with just a darker edge.**

**Good thing I've seen Red Eye before. That movie has really helped with characterizing Reno along with the interactions between him and Sera. If you haven't seen that movie, I'd suggest checking it out. It's older but that doesn't matter, since it IS good.**

**7/7/13: And another thing I failed to mention is that Red Eye (2005, btw) served as great inspiration in certain interactions between Sera and Reno. Fun fact. XD**


	8. The Turk Who Came to Dinner

**A/N: OK, guys, so here's the deal. After this chapter, I will put this story on hiatus. Hopefully, it will be brief because I just need to catch up on what I haven't written. Including some action chapters, finally! XD**

**Edited on 7/7/2013. Note: Yet another talky chapter. I did what I could with it, and hopefully, it's good enough.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 7: The Turk Who Came to Dinner<strong>

"Tifa, how did it come to this?" Sera asked her close friend moodily, settling her chin in both hands with elbows impolitely propped on the bar itself. Fortuitously, for her, Reno hadn't dropped in this time to join their conversation, which she normally saw as just interference.

Tifa shrugged. "I don't know what that man is thinking. I can't speak for others."

"It's just him wanting to get laid again, is all." Sera glanced around her, checking that neither Marlene nor Denzel was in here at the moment. "Though I gotta say, he's going to too much trouble to try getting me in his pants. It's probably an espionage mission."

"I'll tell you this again, Sera. You two have a weird friendship. You seem to get along with him sometimes, but other times, you don't quite trust him all the way. I mean, I'm not really his friend. None of us are, really. It would be awkward anyway, considering how he'd tried to stop us constantly on our quest."

"Yeah," Sera murmured, half to Tifa, half to herself. "Yeah, and see, you guys don't owe Reno anything. I do because he'd saved my sorry ass once. But...Ugh, I don't know. I'm thinking about when I get home and how Grandma's going to want my help with cooking for _him_...God, I need a drink."

Tifa smiled amusedly, though humored her by taking a bottle of red wine out from all the other bottles behind her. Green, blue, red, clear...These glass bottles all were quite pretty with the sunlight hitting on them.

"OK, but just for you. It's on the house."

"Actually, I don't want wine. How about a bay breeze?"

Tifa looked unsure. "That's a bit heavier than usual for you. Not that bad, though. Just _drink responsibly_."

"OK, Mom," Sera joked. "But, more specifically, just put it in the smallest shot glass you have. I just want a little something in my system, not enough to make me slur my words."

Once her drink was served, she thoughtfully sipped at it, pondering over how the evening would turn out. She hoped that it wouldn't result in her obtaining a restraining order against Reno, who did seem to be pestering her more and more lately. As much as she dreaded his arrival, she oddly couldn't wait for it as well.

Wait, that was worth some alcohol punishment.

She threw back her head, drained her shot glass, and requested, "One more bay breeze. Just one more and I'm done."

Glancing at her warily, Tifa acquiesced, "OK. But, I'm drawing the line at three."

With the loud clatter of the front door opening, Cloud walked in, noticed his best friend's (girlfriend's?) guest, and greeted simply, "Hey."

When she heard the subdued, practically monotone voice, Sera replied, "Oh, hey, Cloud. I'm just here for a couple shots then I'm out of here. See, apparently, Reno's coming to my house for dinner tonight. No thanks to him getting Grandma's permission."

"You have my sympathy," he deadpanned before he went on up the stairs.

Laughingly, Sera stared after him and listened to the heavy thud of his large boots on the steps. Clearly, the man would never forgive Reno, mainly because he still remained steadfast to the company after all this time.

She could commiserate with Cloud's viewpoint, and yet she managed to not cause excessive violence to the redhead. It was amazing how she hadn't technically physically fought him after all the poorly thought-out and rather tasteless things he had said in the past. Maybe, again, it was the whole life-saving thing that had staid her fists.

Then, with that in mind, why was she so nice to him?

"Why am I so nice to him?" she asked of Tifa, as though her friend could answer. "I mean, Cloud isn't, and I shouldn't be either. To be honest, Reno is a virtual pain in my ass."

Tifa smiled mysteriously as she put away the vodka and the other bottles of ingredients that made up a bay breeze. "I can't tell you that, Ser. You really have to figure that out for yourself. Besides, I think...I think Cloud has more of a reason behind why he doesn't like Reno. And you have a reason to—I guess—get along with him, right? If what you told me about the time he came..."

"It's obviously true, yeah." Sera looked out through a window contemplatively. "His eavesdropping had worked out for the greater good...for a change...Anyway, Teef, I got to get home. Fix _dinner_"—she uttered this in a tone of revulsion—"All that. Talk to you soon. Hopefully, you won't find out I murdered him."

Tifa giggled slightly. "I should hope not. Just keep an eye on him."

"Will do. I'll keep so close an eye on him that he'll feel violated."

With what was supposed to be an evil smirk on her face, Sera walked out the door. Then, toward home she drove, morbidly wondering what this evening would bring.

* * *

><p>"Grandma," Sera groaned, threatening to tug out entire tufts of her toffee-colored hair. "Dinner is usually a simple meal, not a three-course one. Besides, I...I don't want to make it look like we tried too hard. It's Reno for God's sakes!"<p>

Nonetheless, she frosted the cake that her grandmother had concocted two hours ago, while she'd been out conversing with Tifa. There was no point in wasting such a deliciously impeccable pastry. Along with the strawberry shortcake reserved for dessert, there was a chicken noodle casserole for the main dish and sides of sautéed vegetables and three types of cheeses. Reluctantly, Sera had assisted Grandma all the way through the cooking process of this hearty dinner. This unnecessarily complex dinner that had taken a good hour and a half to create.

Grandma appeared to be satisfied with all this time-consuming work as she wiped her hands on her floral apron, beaming. "Oh, please don't have that attitude, Serafina. Reno is a guest in our home. Now, you said he'll be here by six?"

"Yeah." Impatiently looking toward the clock, Sera found that it was around five til six. "Which means he should be here pretty soon. I'll go out and wait for him."

In reality, she had been looking for an excuse to get out of the house for some fresh air. Her blood pressure was at a simmer now, and she didn't want to get so out-of-hand that it would become a boil. That foolish Turk had to make an appearance at her home, didn't he?

If she was as reckless and apathetic to her health as he was, she would partake in a cigarette right then. However, Sera never believed in smoking as a stress reliever. Breathing in and out repeatedly was a far superior substitute without her having to smell any acrid smoke.

With her arms crossed, she sat down on the curb of her street (if one could call it that), waiting for this undesirable guest to arrive. In the meantime, she took stock of her surroundings, observing how deplorable her neighborhood was.

How could the slums have possibly deteriorated any worse than what they formerly had been? Shingles threatened to fall off several roofs of houses that vaguely reminded her of tin cans. Up and down the street, these tin can houses crowded both sides, definitely not picture perfect in comparison to Kalm. Kalm, Edge...Anywhere better than here.

Here, where a clunky truck with rusted-up doors drove past, barely held together by its parts. A tarp had been thrown over the bed, so no doubt that this vehicle belonged to a black market contributor. And just across the street from where she sat in ennui, she noticed a flea-bitten, skinny stray dog sniffing through the contents of a garbage can.

About two more years of saved-up earnings from Mrs. Liran's Items Shop, Sera hoped to accumulate enough for her and Grandma to buy a larger, prettier house. They deserved that much. Maybe the more idyllic house could be in Kalm, which wasn't too far from here and where they'd once lived during the disaster. Apparently, relocating even twenty miles away would be a vast improvement.

Reluctantly getting up, she started pacing up and down, checking her watch that she wore only every once in a while. It read 6:02.

_Late, of course. I knew he was pulling my leg, _she thought sourly with a roll of her eyes. Typical idiot Reno.

And then, she noticed a black convertible (with the top up) out of the corner of her eye. It crept on down the street at a slow, almost lazy speed, as though the driver didn't have the energy to go any faster. Either that or he wanted to show the expensive vehicle off to the locals.

Hmph, he had some nerve! Not only was Reno driving something infinitely better than the typical Midgar car, but he was driving a _Shinra company car!_

"That son of a bitch," Sera muttered angrily, and with a renewed sense of purpose, she strode down to where he finally parked.

Sure enough, her least favorite redhead got out of the car, taking his sweet time doing so. He whistled a jaunty tune as he locked his door, treating this occasion as though he came here every day.

"Nice car," she told Reno mockingly, tapping one foot out of annoyance.

He shrugged with a smirk. "What? Not even a hello? I'm gonna be a guest, Serafin. Treat me with some respect."

"Oh, OK. Hello, Mr. Reno, sir. Should I take your coat? Open the door for you? Kiss your ass?"

Jingling his car keys as casually as ever, he responded with, "Hey, that last one sounds pretty good. You could lean down and..."

"You wish," Sera scoffed, starting to lead him toward her tin can house that somehow looked more refined than the rest in comparison. "Let me go over some rules with you. First off, no smoking. If you want to huff on a cancer stick, do it outside. Number two, don't ask for any alcoholic drink for a drink 'cause we don't have any. Number three, call my grandmother Mrs. Ashcroft, _not Grams_."

Reno's teal eyes gleamed in amusement. "Any more rules and you'll have more than the Turk handbook."

Abruptly stopping mere steps away from the house, Sera stiffened, her senses heightened and alert to what he sardonically joked. Clearly, his comment did not set well with her.

"And that's another thing. Don't talk about your job. At all. Neither Grandma nor I want to lose our appetites over the gory details. Hmph, bad enough you came in the frickin' company car."

If she hadn't been so ill-tempered, she would have laughed at how his long fingers clenched protectively around his keys. "Come on, Serafin, I get paid well enough. It's the only car I got. It's a nice ride. Did you think I was gonna walk here?"

"No, and rule number five is that you better not say whatever pops into your head at any given moment."

Reno incredulously shook his head. "Babe, I'm just here to eat. You're the one insinuating something else."

Sera stopped walking again to fiercely grab a tenacious hold on the lapels of his black work jacket. "Me, insinuating?! I'm not the one who came up with this idea! No putting words in my mouth!"

Regardless of her screaming volume that caused people strolling by to stare oddly at her, he smirked coolly. "You know...Words wouldn't be the only thing I'd put in your m—"

She gave him a solid slap across the face. "Asshole!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, violence. And language…again. My, my, aren't we temperamental this evening? Practice what you preach, Serafin."

"Whatever." Sera's shoulders slumped in defeat. "Dinner might be getting cold. Let's just get this over with before you make me depressed."

"After you." Reno approached the front door before she could and opened it.

Deep down, some bizarre part of her was flattered by the gesture, which was actually quite gentlemanly of him. However, mostly, she was aggravated that he would have the gall to do that to her at her own house. She gritted her teeth, just barely snarling.

"It's my house, Reno. I can let myself in, thanks," she replied shortly, leaning toward him with a sharp jab to his chest.

With a more subdued smirk, he tilted his head down toward her, and she discovered her folly. She stood too close to him. Way too close.

Heart picking up speed, like whenever she revved up her motorcycle as she got out to the desert, Sera caught a whiff of his cologne. And it smelled tantalizing. She'd honestly had no idea that he would wear cologne at all, maybe just an antiperspirant. An abruptly light-headed sensation was all she could register.

As though this already wasn't torture enough, Reno whispered in her ear, "Killers can be polite too, you know."

"Whatever," she breathed out before trudging on inside.

How was it that whenever he did that—_teased_ her—that she couldn't say anything acidic?

Of course, as soon as they walked in the kitchen together, Grandma perked up from setting the table with a gentle smile on her face.

"Hello, Reno. It's good to have you here."

"Glad you're happy I came...Mrs. Ashcroft." In quite a debonair fashion, Reno said this with a wink in Sera's direction.

_Why must he be so infuriating? _she thought, groaning inaudibly under her breath so neither he nor Grandma could hear.

Grandma didn't seem to comprehend that his charm was a carefully planned method, for she giggled. "Ah, I'm flattered that you're being so polite. But, please, call me Rosemary."

"Rosemary? Hm, nice name."

"Thank you. Dinner's ready, so feel free to help yourself."

Gag! Sera couldn't believe how much of a farce his charismatic behavior was. Huffily, she sat down at the table, only for him to take the chair right across from hers. He gave her one of his usual flashy grins.

"The food looks great. Did you cook this yourself, Rosemary?" he asked innocently enough, though she prepared for the full impact of her grandmother's answer to throw her for a loop.

She didn't want equal credit for the dinner to be placed on her. Yes, she could cook, certainly, but he didn't have to know that. Oh, no. No, no, no, no…

Grandma proceeded scoop some of the chicken noodle casserole onto her plate. "Well, yes, but Sera helped. Bless her heart, she always helps"—then, to Sera herself—"You are quite the culinary genius, if I do say so myself."

She feigned chuckling but was very uneasy deep down. "Oh, please, Grandma. I'm...I'm an OK cook."

"Culinary genius, eh?" Reno might have appeared genuinely intrigued. "I had a feeling there was a domestic side to you."

"What gave it away?" Sera asked tensely, a bit alarmed.

He chuckled. "Nothing. I just guessed. Jeez, you act like it's some deep, dark secret."

Maybe it wasn't—no, most certainly not, not in comparison to her real deep, dark secrets she had buried over the years. As much as she resisted the urge, Sera found herself smiling.

"I guess not. I just thought I wouldn't hear the end of it from you about my cooking. You know, me being such a tough girl and all."

_And the fact I slapped you five minutes ago,_ she concluded internally.

Oddly enough, he acted like he would smile instead of smirk sarcastically. "Every tough girl would know how to cook, I'm guessing."

"Is that supposed to be a sexist comment?" She raised an eyebrow suspiciously, dipping out some casserole for herself along with some sautéed vegetables.

Reno suddenly seemed engrossed with the food on his plate. "Hey, I didn't mean anything by it. If you think it's sexist, then it's sexist."

As Sera shook her head, Grandma assured her, "Reno is probably saying something to the effect that cooking is a life skill everyone ought to know."

He pointed his fork at the elderly woman. "Exactly! Yep, that's what I meant."

"Some of us happen to be better at cooking than others. You did a nice job with the vegetables, dear."

Sera, ego boosted by the compliment, smirked toward the Turk. "Meaning you probably burn your dinner every night."

"Wrong! I _used to _burn my dinner every night. Now, it's just a few char marks here and there."

Grandma giggled at that and so did Sera, albeit in a more snarky way.

In the end, it was pleasant to know that she didn't need to dread this particular evening at all. Reno abided by her rules, miraculously enough, in spite of venturing outside to smoke after dessert. Not one reference did he make concerning his Shinra job, no matter his pride in it.

He had to have some ulterior motive in being so docile, docile for him anyway.

Grandma, with a soft yet sly smile, suggested that her granddaughter ought to escort him to his frustratingly awful convertible with that ugly Shinra Inc. logo painted on the side. Sera decided to oblige and not as reluctantly as she thought she would be.

Awkwardly, she stroked her ponytail and adjusted the sleeves of her deep purple ruffled shirt. Much to her horror, she had dressed rather well for this simple, casual dinner. Her jeans even had a beaded flower design on each leg. Ugh, too dressy for her to be around him. Yet, he'd worn cologne and looked like he might have possibly shaven the night before. A trickle of nervousness started to seep through her. No words from her to him passed through her lips, marking it the first time she was absolutely speechless with him.

Reno put his hand on the door handle, as though to open it, but he refrained from doing so. Instead, he leaned against the car door, long fingers idly tapping against it.

"What?" Sera inquired lowly, amber eyes narrowing. "What do you want?"

He shrugged lopsidedly as a lazy smirk (his variations of the smirk were too many to count) flitted onto his lips. "What do you think I want?"

Imitating his leaning move from before that had threatened to tempt her, she said, "Something I won't give to you."

He contemplatively scratched his chin. "Mmm...Go figure. You're one stubborn chick, Serafin. But, the dinner was pretty good. Maybe we should do something like that some other time. Just not at your place."

"What are you saying?"

At her wary tone, Reno grinned, acting as if she had just told him a witty joke. Serafina helplessly shook her head in reaction to this, lifting her hands in a way that said, "What's with you?"

If she could get inside the man's mind for ten seconds, she could possibly understand his eccentricities. His subtle words. And maybe she would be able to know what his pet peeves were instead of what was the norm for their conversations. She would love to find out just what exactly annoyed him. Then, she would do that a hundred times over in a true role reversal.

"I may or may not be asking you out."

It was like one of those days when she would punch the punching bag so hard that it would spin full-circle and strike her in the face. She'd had that accidentally happen before on several occasions whenever a particular issue bothered her, ate away at her.

Utterly bewildered, Sera was at a loss for words again over Reno's weird proposition. Well, it was weird to her! How could he possibly think that she would say yes? Maybe she would accept that kind of offer from other guys, if they liked her, let alone noticed her.

But, to a man who already knew too well how to push her buttons...

"No," she said firmly, crossing her arms to prove that she was serious.

"Come on. At least I asked you face-to-face, didn't I? Besides, I owe you for making you work so hard at your lovely home for my arrival."

"When a girl says no, it means no," Sera mouthed the last "no" to give a muted emphasis that her mind was made up. There was no way a Turk would change her mind.

"I thought it was when a girl says no, she really means yes." Reno winked at her.

"Not this girl."

"Hm..." Back to his musing, he reverted to his habit of tossing around his car keys.

"What? What is it now?"

He drawled, "It's really too bad you're gonna say no."

"Why?"

"Because I plan on tailing you every day since—"

"NO!" Sera abruptly shouted, unnerved that Reno would most likely do something like that. "OK, OK, OK. I'll go on a date with you."

She almost wished she could retract those words that inwardly made her vomit, this idea of accepting whatever plot Reno would cook up. This would ruin her reputation now, as far as she was concerned. All of AVALANCHE would never forgive her for doing something as vile and despicable as going out with a Turk. Cloud would throw her out of 7th Heaven next time he saw her. She was a traitor to her friends, her beliefs, and her single status.

Meanwhile, he looked like the cat that swallowed the helpless canary. "See, that wasn't so hard. If you'd kept on refusing, I was planning on telling Rude, Elena, Tseng—actually, as many Turks as possible—that you cooked for me."

"You...You...Argh, I hate you!" Even though she cried this out rather shrilly, Sera was all abashment and humiliation. Unbeknownst to her, her face turned an interesting shade of scarlet and not from her passionate fury either.

"Don't say things you don't mean, babe. Especially not before the big date. Next Saturday sound good? I'll check my calendar, but I can probably show up on that day, around seven?" Though the inflection in his ever smooth voice was sincere, his teal eyes sparkled roguishly.

"Sure, sure, seven sounds good." She pinched the bridge of her nose. "Just go. You've already embarrassed me enough for the whole year."

With one last smirk at her, though softer, Reno stroked her cheek (barely touching, only grazing the skin) with one finger. "See you then, Sera."

And as he got into that stupid Shinra car, it suddenly occurred to her that he'd called her by the name she preferred to be called.

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><p><strong>AN: Ah-ha, so Reno had Sera walk into that little trap of his. XD So, now, it's just a couple of chapters away until a big one comes along. And not the date one. I mean, this one will be just MASSIVE.**

**Ah, Red Eye references. Couldn't resist with the bay breeze. Really couldn't. If Reno had just been an AVALANCHE character instead of an assassin, maybe this wouldn't keep happening.**

**Holy shit, I graduate from high school in a week. I just realized that. Whoa...**


	9. White Flag

**A/N: So, after a very long hiatus that included writing the occasional story here and there, I finally got time and inspiration back to work on this fic. XD This was a chapter I'd done a while back but hadn't had time to upload due to time constraints this year. Anyway, hope you enjoy this latest chapter of WMH, welcome back to those who've been following it.**

**Warning: Really strong language in this chapter. And I don't use it lightly either, it's definitely there for emphasis.**

**Another thing to note. Yes, there is a vague sort of connection between a sake bomb and a flashback…**

**Edited on 7/7/2013. Note: Yeah, I know I updated this just the other day, but improvements had to be made. I was just adding things here and there.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 8: White Flag<strong>

"Yuffie, can I please have your sake bomb?" Sera asked politely enough, but it was an unusual question coming from her nonetheless. After all, as sternly as she'd trained herself to be an agile fighter, she wasn't overly fond of taking risks. She despised gambling except for slot machines. She never drank more than she could handle. With almost everything she approached, she did her best to avoid being reckless. Most certainly, she was not one to throw caution to the wind. This time, though, on this celebratory Friday night at 7th Heaven, she would satisfy her curiosity.

Finally, she would know what it would be like to have a sake bomb in her drink.

She'd achieved a daring goal at last, going all in without second-guessing herself now or later. This was what a grown sophisticated woman such as herself should do every now and again. Maybe she should bungee jump off Mt. Nibel next.

"How about you just ask for one?" Yuffie suggested, her eyes drifting to the fizzling, bubbling shot glass of vodka in her hand. "They're only 5 gil."

"Oh." Sera couldn't believe her cluelessness. "Duh. I'll do that."

"Sake bomb, eh?" Barret had overheard. "I thought you were a wine girl."

She smiled complacently. "Usually. But, I'm feeling a bit adventurous tonight."

"You go, girl!" Yuffie gave her the thumbs-up.

Vincent glanced over at the ninja, quite deadpan. "You are cheering Serafina for choosing a strange additive to put in her drink. How pointless."

"Ah, Vinnie, you wouldn't understand. All you have is red wine...if anything."

Amused over the conversation between the crimson caped man and the clever yet funny young girl, Sera plopped her sake bomb into her shot glass full of bourbon. Just the one glass and she felt she was already pushing it with the whiskey. In reality, she had no idea why she'd ordered that specific beverage for the evening. Another distraction, she guessed. It had been a week, meaning tomorrow would be her date, which she definitely had mixed feelings over.

The man himself she'd always associated that term with as well. Especially one afternoon a month after the Meteor crisis...

* * *

><p><em> Edge, two years ago<em>

"So, that's how Gaia was saved, lucky for us," Tifa finished the account of the quest wearily, as though telling it emotionally drained her.

Analyzing her facial expression closely, Sera could tell that that was exactly the case with her best friend. Her mahogany brown eyes were lowered, gazing intently at the counter. It was very much unlike her to act this way unless something truly troubled her. Sera knew that if she'd been among their party, she might not have been able to handle the traumatizing events too well herself.

In fact, she knew she wouldn't have been up for a journey like that at all.

"That Aeris girl sounded really...brave," Sera murmured, not wanting to say "nice" because that didn't sound genuine. "I wish I could have known her. She was that flower girl, wasn't she?"

Tifa almost imperceptibly nodded. "Yeah. I didn't know what to think of her at first but...I think all of us were better people for knowing her."

They fell silent for who knew how long as they mulled over the tragic fate of Aeris. When it came to something as full-scale as stopping a mass murderer permanently, it was close to what a war was like. Sacrifices occurred from left and right, great losses accumulating and senseless additions to the Lifestream.

Sadly, the greatest, costliest sacrifice of all had to come in the form of a kind, gentle soul such as a mostly unnoticed flower girl dying before her time. It seemed as though the victims of frenzied violence were always the innocents.

Sera sighed, tapping her fingers anxiously on the counter. "I wonder if Midgar will ever be rebuilt. Grandma and I got out of there as soon as the pillar fell in Sector 7. It was awful...when it happened."

"Shinra did it, of course, and it was Reno who actually planted that explosive."

Honestly, how could she forget? That was the moment during listening to the tale that Sera could hardly see straight for her suppressed rage.

She clenched her fists. "Yeah, Teef, you said. I suspected as much, even when the rest of them complained about AVALANCHE as we were leaving. I hate all those Shinra people. What would be real justice is if they died, too."

Tifa had been somewhat concentrating on drying a glass but became alert once she heard her friend utter these bitter words. "Ser, I don't know if I'd go that far."

"Well, I sure as hell would," Sera half-snarled, lifting her gaze to meet Tifa's unflinchingly. "After what they've done to innocent people."

"But, consider this. What Sephiroth did was worse. He manipulated Cloud, created this huge massacre, and murdered Aeris without a second thought. And...And he killed my father. I know Shinra seems heartless too, but are they as pure evil as Sephiroth?"

Turning her head to look out at the rest of Edge, where this new 7th Heaven was, Sera shrugged lopsidedly. "They're up there."

At that moment, just when her inner tension stretched to an inconceivable limit, an all too familiar redhead walked in. "I'm off-duty at the moment. You have any vodka?"

"Make that two." Rude, tall and more built like a bodyguard in contrast to his friend and colleague, strode more gracefully after him.

In spite of his intimidating stature and general appearance, he added more shyly, "That is, if it's not too early."

Tifa glanced at the clock on the opposite wall, and it read that it was almost 4:45. Fifteen minutes until the official opening time, but she had a tendency to open the bar early. She didn't care for the idea of dealing with angry men over the issue of waiting until promptly five o'clock. Frankly, it wasn't as though she couldn't take them. It was just too much of a hassle prying brawling customers apart as it was.

Sera hissed, "Don't serve them," still fuming from the mention that Shinra had served as a hindrance in the story she'd just finished listening to.

For once ignoring her friend, Tifa said to the two Turks, "All right. It's close enough to five that it wouldn't kill me."

"Then, I'm leaving," the vexed girl announced, making a point to not acknowledge Reno upon her swift exit. She failed to note that he glanced over his shoulder at her very subtly.

"I'm going out for a smoke," he lied to Rude before following her.

Rufus had informed them a while back that, apparently, Serafin had to be under careful surveillance. He wouldn't give a reason, only that "that girl might cause mayhem."

His steps outside were casual yet sure-footed, hardly making a sound on the asphalt. With all those years of being a part of the Turks under his belt, he'd learned to hone his senses and be sneaky at all times. He had that sort of clever smoothness down to a tee to the point that no one could possibly know that he was there, watching. Not the most skilled fighter in the world, Reno had had to rely on his stealth in order to eliminate potential threats to Shinra.

All it had taken was this quiet tread, soft and very much understated, toward them, and he'd deliver a punishing blow to the head with his EMR.

Too easy to wipe them out most of the time, honestly. And if he did have to engage them in hand-to-hand combat, it never took long. Reno, at this stage in his career, had familiarized himself with seeing the light go out of a victim's eyes as they died. The light was their soul, their very essence as a human being, and once it was snuffed out, they were gone.

Not like he gave two shits about their souls. Most of them had no souls.

The glimmer in his own teal eyes was normally kept to a minimum, in perpetual ennui and apathy. But, if he glanced at a mirror now, there would have been a trace of intrigue in them as they landed on the girl. She strode briskly toward her motorcycle, invisible heat coming off her.

Forget spying, maybe he could talk to her. There was probably a lot she had to say to him, none positive, he assumed. Oh well.

"Yo, Ashcroft," Reno called out, now catching up with her. "Wait a sec."

She turned around so fast that her ponytail whipped back and forth as her incensed eyes met his. "What the hell do you want?"

"Just wonderin' what you've been up to. Been on vacation? Seen any cute boys?" He was snide in his approach yet quite proud of it.

"You are seriously the last person I ever want to talk to."

Reno laughed but not very pleasantly, sending anxious chills up and down Sera's back. "Oh, and why's that? I don't think I've been assigned to kill anyone close to you. Not many Ashcrofts in Midgar."

"No," she acknowledged, her glare becoming deadlier and more grudging, "but I've heard what you've been up to. It's worse than that, let me assure you, you pathetic slime."

He evenly returned her glare. "Oh? And what's got little Serafin so pissed off this time?"

"Don't pull that dumb bullshit on me, Turk, because I know what you did!" Sera screamed nearly at the top of her lungs, aching longingly for her twin blades. "Tifa was telling me the whole story about why Midgar was nearly wiped out for good. You guys were included. In fact, I'm pretty sure she said that it was you who blew the pillar up."

A tense silence followed because she wanted to let that memory refresher soak through his idiotically thick skull. She wanted it to permeate his brain cells until he produced some kind of reaction.

Unsurprisingly, he smirked. "Yep, it was all me. Well, actually, not all me. I have Rude to thank for supplying the bomb in the first place. He's real savvy with the explosives."

No guilt, only arrogance and conceit over his actions. Sera shook her head in complete incredulity, at a loss for words. Personally, she couldn't imagine burdening her fellow human being with such chaos, with such devastation.

How cold-hearted was this man standing before her, casually adjusting his shades?

"You bastard," she murmured, still reeling from his callous response. "I can't believe you. Only the latest in Shinra technology. That was what the bomb was, right? Oh, congratulations. Really, you've earned it."

The hot summer air nearly suffocated her at the moment, and she couldn't stand having to yell at him. However, there was no way she could ever condone his work with the Turks, that long body of work that included many real corpses. Sera was determined to pound the injustice of what he did to other people into his head, no matter how much screaming and obscenities it took. Her stress came from her anger and how this all brought the terrible memories back, originating from an epoch in her life in which she felt totally powerless. As though she'd had to put her faith in a higher power that would either help her see it through or cause her to go on a downward spiral.

Meanwhile, Reno continued to glare at her rather disdainfully as he took out his silver lighter and a pack of cigarettes from his pocket. Shortly after lighting the cigarette, he firmly stuck it between his lips, allowing the gray smoke to stream out.

"You don't get it, Serafin. I was just doing what I was told. It was for Shinra, yeah, but hey, we thought AVALANCHE was threatenin' us. And besides, we had that flower girl to kidnap."

"Aeris," Sera muttered, still brooding.

"What?"

More loudly, she said, "Her name was Aeris."

"Anyway...It was going to be chaotic eventually. There's always sacrifices and—"

Incredibly stunned beyond possible belief, she repeated, "Sacrifices?! You didn't have to do this, Reno! Sector 7—those were all innocent people! They weren't threats to Shinra. They were buried alive because of you. I had to take my grandmother away from her home so we could live in a Kalm hotel because of what you did!"

Despite living in a hotel for free over the past month because of generous patrons (indeed, they would probably have to reside there longer), Sera had not been enjoying her stay. She kept wondering if their house in Sector 4 had survived the catastrophic events that had befallen all of Midgar, especially that Meteor spell.

She would spend entire nights thinking up ways of how to carry on if Midgar was left in pieces spread throughout the Planet. Other jobs she would have to apply for. Other places to live.

And, intentionally or not, Reno had helped in doing that to her.

He shrugged, one lean shoulder hitching slightly above the other. "Sacrifices happen. Those people weren't threats to anyone, sure. They were just in the way."

Sera sensed the urge to plug her ears to his words that sounded insensitive to her. Well, insensitive didn't begin to cover it.

Negligent, harsh, and borderline inhumane. The adolescent boy who had saved her life seemingly a lifetime ago no longer existed to her.

"You are such a callous asshole!" she accused, stepping closer and closer to him with each rage-fueled word. "You didn't stick around long enough to hear their screams, did you? Their dying screams! Well, I did! I had nightmares for weeks. I still do. And, if I'd lived in Sector 7, I could have died. Bet you didn't think of that either. No, 'course not. Because you can't feel guilt!"

"Shut up!" Reno shot back, his teal eyes flaming.

In his outburst, he carelessly threw his cigarette aside, putting it out with one firm stamp. Then, to Sera's surprise and a bit of intimidation, he clamped down his hands on her shoulders. He held on in such a vice-like grip that, for a single second, she forgot to breathe. She had never seen him this blatantly livid before.

Her fear told her that he could kill her in his passionate rage, probably murder her with his bare hands. After all, he had been molded into a killer through this invincible Shinra machine, so that instinct was just beneath the surface.

Indeed, Sera had every right to be nervous around him.

Reno shouted, "You don't think I don't fucking feel guilt?! Hell, I'll admit it, I was glad to be in that soundproof copter. And I was thinkin' that you better not live in Sector 7. But, you still don't get it! I can't waste time feeling like shit over something like that! Not in the job description. What is in the job description is that I can't feel anything at all. And you know what? That's why I wanted to join up in the first place."

In petrified awe, Sera numbly moved Reno's now limp hands away from her, since she was too overwhelmed by the delivery of his rant. She detected intense emotion there, something that she usually didn't associate with the Turk and maybe not ever again. Honestly, she was baffled that she had just caught a glimpse of the humanity she'd previously thought was non-existent. Slight vulnerability she thought she'd never find.

So, for the first and last time, Reno must have regretted a job he'd completed for the sake of Shinra Inc. Out of an increasing curiosity, Sera mused over what he could have thought about on the helicopter on that fateful day. Had he factored in all the lives he was destroying? Had he glanced out the window, peering through the glass at the crumbling buildings and morbidly imagining the screams of dying people? Had he realized he was obliterating a once proud, indomitable city?

She herself didn't realize how shaken she was until she glanced down at her trembling hands. This was officially the most explosive argument they'd ever had.

In spite of her occasionally volatile temper, she hated it when things got turbulent. This case served as the perfect example, with the heated words and whirlwind emotions, not to mention Reno's tight grip on her now sore shoulders. She sighed as she observed him lighting another cigarette quite coolly, yet she knew that this was a coping mechanism. Especially when she swore to herself that his cigarette-holding hand was imperceptibly shaking as well.

"Dammit, Reno," she murmured out of a lack of anything better to say. "I should have known you wouldn't willingly slaughter masses of innocent people, even if you kill for a living. But, you didn't have to do it. Besides, according to Tifa, you were reveling in planting that bomb."

Deadpan, he languidly glanced over at her, blowing a smoke ring in her direction. "What does Tifa know? I was playing it up, putting on a big show for everybody. I couldn't exactly back out of it. Turks aren't cowards."

He proceeded to turn his head away so she couldn't see the true expression on his face. Most assassins never did this, most certainly not Reno. He always made sure to look people directly in the eyes no matter what. It was odd that he acted like this.

Since she couldn't examine his face, Sera decided to confess, "A while back...Well, no, I guess not then. But now...Now, I see there's more to you than this smartass who plays it cool all the time and cracks warped jokes. And I actually don't mind that side. So...I guess what I'm trying to say is that maybe you and I could be...friends?"

She didn't mean to say "friends" like a question, but she embarrassingly had, as though she was no more than a naïve six-year-old. And she had been impressed with him for having some vestige of a conscience. Sure, the majority of it was blown to bits, but there was some left. Reno wasn't actually all that hopeless as he thought he was. That was why she would be uncharacteristically forgiving by showing the willingness to befriend him in spite of this argument.

However, he replied in a slow drawl, "Turks don't really have friends either. Rude's the only one I got."

For some inexplicable reason, Sera felt a stabbing wound of hurt strike her chest. It was a heavy feeling. What should it matter anyway? Typical Turk response. Typical Reno response. They were equivalent to each other.

"Fine." She put up a façade of nonchalance. "Have it your way. It's not like it matters to me that much."

Attempting without much success to convince herself of this, she walked toward her motorcycle. Since Reno was so stealthy, she didn't hear him following her until two fingers touched her wrist.

"Sera, wait," he sighed out of clear frustration.

She glanced at him through errant strands of hair. "What?"

"I'll be your friend...since you asked. Obviously, not too many people ask me, so I didn't know what the hell to think."

Sera felt a wry smile twitching at her lips. "OK, cool. But, on one condition: don't be such an ass to me next time."

Some foreign trace of a smile threatened at his lips. "I'll do my best."

A gut feeling told her that he would continue to give her grief. But, it would be nowhere near as severe as what had taken place today, she was sure of that much.

* * *

><p>"K, three, two, one...Sake bomb!" Sera plopped it into the rest of her whiskey, watching it fizz and bubble spiritedly.<p>

Yuffie cheered, "Hell yeah! Aren't those things cool? You were missing out on an experience, Ser."

"You must be joking." Vincent was too dignified to roll his eyes, so he settled for a pointed stare Yuffie's direction instead.

A musing half-smile played at Sera's lips as she toasted the ninja girl. However, her thoughts were somewhere else, on the date she wasn't sure she should go on.

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><p><strong>AN: This was where I decided to go more in-depth with Reno's character as portrayed in FF7. Kind of weird that they made him Lighter and Softer in AC like they'd made Cloud more angsty than he actually is in the game. Oh well. Well, considering how more predatory Reno is in FF7 in a way, I just thought I'd better darken his character a shade or two. After all, we're talking about an assassin here, there's definitely a dark side to this guy. Yet, in past chapters, I have made him more jovial to go along with the AC version. But, the dark side doesn't go away after all. People don't change that drastically unless for certain reasons.**

**Eh, never mind, I'm rambling. Hope you enjoyed this very intense chapter.**


	10. Loveliness

**A/N: ****So, originally, I was going to have the events leading up to the date and the date be all one chapter. But, since I noticed I was spending quite a bit of time on the events before, I decided it would be split into two chapters. So, here's this chapter to hold you over until the actual date chapter. Which I promise won't be the highlight of the story. XD**

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><p><strong>Chapter 9: Loveliness<strong>

A dull, leisurely day followed for Sera on Saturday afternoon, hours before her date. Really, it shouldn't have been such a big deal, considering it felt like losing a bet. Losing a bet and then doing something completely humiliating that she otherwise wouldn't do under a cool, rational mindset.

So, why was it that her fingers instantly started shaking whenever she heard the _ding _of the shop bell? Not once, not twice, but every time the ring came did this occur. Damn right she was like one of Pavlov's dogs, and the bell certainly didn't help with making her forget that as she'd been conditioned to anticipate his presence.

At one point, when a redheaded customer had entered the shop, she thought she almost suffered a heart attack. However, it turned out to be Holt, a regular to the store and a typical hypochondriac. By the time he walked out of the items shop, he had his arms full with his own pharmacy. Elixirs, vitamins, and syrups galore. As though he thought he'd be struck ill—violently so—at any minute.

Holt, a great, affable customer but a very bizarre man overall.

Worse still, Sera found herself in and out of focusing. She would even space out on customers asking for a renewed prescription or whatever. That date and that impossible man dominated her thoughts against her will.

Before she got off work, Mrs. Liran bustled over to her and asked, "Sera, are you all right, child? You haven't acted like yourself much today. Are you sure there isn't anything wrong?"

Unfortunately, yet another spell had set in, so Sera blinked rather slowly before answering just as deliberately, "No...No, Mrs. Liran, I'm OK. Just...Something...A lot's been on my mind. Something is going on tonight and...I've just been thinking about it too much."

Sweeping aside a few of her black curls, Mrs. Liran then smiled thoughtfully. "Is it a man? Are you going to be on a date, by any chance?"

Humiliated, Sera hid her face in crossed arms and responded in a muffled "yeah."

Adding to the embarrassment, her boss unprofessionally (in her opinion) "awwwed" at this confession. "I didn't take you to be the shy type, Sera. You're always so friendly and helpful with the customers that I wouldn't suspect it of you. But, ah, then again, love always makes us act dif—"

"I'm not in love," the young woman fiercely denied as she lifted her face from her arms. Though she wasn't able to tell without a mirror, two dark red splotches had appeared on her face. They were all out of an interesting, almost random mixture of anger, embarrassment, and something else entirely.

Something that Sera would be mortified to recognize as an emotion within her.

Mrs. Liran merely smiled amusedly, walking down the syrups aisle with a clipboard in hand to take inventory. "I remember when I was your age, so stubborn and thinking I was too proud to fall in love. Then, I met Xander, and the rest is history."

"No, Mrs. Liran, you're mistaken. Believe me, I'm definitely not in love. No way. This guy taking me out tonight is making me feel like I lost a bet to him. He's so arrogant sometimes. And always has to say whatever is on his mind."

"Hmmm," Mrs. Liran mused as she jotted down numbers. "I would think you'd like an opinionated man."

Sera sighed. "Not to impose on you or anything, but can I get off work?"

"Of course, Sera. Have a good night tonight, OK?"

A wry smile twitched on her lips. "I'll try. See you Monday."

_What a relief_, she immediately thought upon exiting the shop.

As much as she loved to work out to channel all her negative emotions constructively, she knew she couldn't today. She couldn't risk smelling like sweat on her date. Not even Reno deserved to put up with her body odor. So, sighing, she reluctantly passed over the gym on her long walk.

But, not home—no, it wouldn't be in the cards that day, as much as she hated to admit it.

On the contrary, Sera was going...shopping.

"I better not regret this," she muttered to herself, hands settling into the pockets of her deep red windbreaker. It had been a somewhat cooler-than-average day, so she didn't know what the point was in seeking out a dress. Then again, if it was going to be even cooler later, she could always just cancel on him. Except she didn't know his cell number...

Eventually, she found herself standing in front of the dress shop in Sector 6, apprehensively skimming up and down the building. Was it really worth it to spend part of her Edge apartment or Kalm house savings on something so frivolous? She shuddered to think that she wouldn't spend it on more practical purposes like produce or milk or toilet paper. Frankly, she was one not to spend much time or money on herself, except when it came to her exercise. But, staying fit was important to her, training for whatever big fight came her way.

No working out today, though. Much to her reluctance, Sera impatiently opened the entrance door, ready for this to be over with. Quick and painless.

A woman of about twenty-eight stood at the counter and smiled amicably at Sera. This was a sight that actually took her aback. For, this smile of the clerk's wasn't forced nor had any trace of fear that she could detect.

Hmph, that was weird, intimidatingly so.

Why was this woman not running and screaming or threatening her to leave? Sera got those types of negative reactions at least five times a day, mainly in the form of glares and blatant disrespect.

"Can I help you?" the clerk chirped, looking quite at ease.

She was positively baffled. "Er…I was wondering if you could help me…er…pick out a dress. Like, recommendations you might have. That would be great."

"Ah," the clerk beamed, rocking back and forth on her heels. "Is tonight a big date night for you?"

Sera relaxed somewhat with a vague smile on her face, a very rare sight indeed. After all, with all the resentful, condescending citizens running amok, she wasn't keen on giving out smiles to any of them. They would have thought her oblivious, naïve, or even impaired. It was lucky that her grandmother saw her smiling at all sometimes, and that was when she would dreamily gaze out the window. Hoping for a better life, far from here.

"You could say that," she finally replied, running a hand through her ponytail.

"Oooh, that's exciting. OK, Miss…"

"Ashcroft. Serafina Ashcroft but you can call me Sera."

"Sera, then. Let's get started."

The clerk (whose name Sera gathered as Penny) first asked what size she was. Abashed, she confessed that she couldn't exactly say, as she hadn't worn a dress in a while. In fact, "a while" was when she'd been a twelve-year-old girl at her cousin's wedding. That must have been a lifetime ago, surely.

However, Penny knew what she was doing, proving that she was apt for her job. After taking some measurements, she rightly estimated that Sera was around a size six before proceeding to show her an entire rack of dresses. Skeptically, the resident tough girl looked through her options, unsure of what color she wanted, let alone a certain style.

Besides, if Reno thought that she planned on showing off for him by her wardrobe choice, he would be sadly mistaken. Maybe she would pick out the ugliest dress here to spite him…It was just a shame that none of them struck her as hideous or embarrassing to wear.

Inevitably dismissing her scheme then, she narrowed it down to four dresses she at least was willing to try on. She asked Penny to advise her on which one to buy after she'd try on all of them.

First up was a lime-colored strapless that ultimately ended up being so long for her that she nearly tripped on her way out of the dressing room. She wasn't particularly fond of the color either.

A slightly ruffled scarlet dress was next, but it was honestly too bad that she felt practically suffocated once she got into it. It fit very tightly, accentuating her curvy figure, yet it was inevitably too form-fitting to suit her. Though she was sure Reno would probably approve, she considered with disgust.

A forest green dress that revealed too much of her back acne (in her opinion) she cast aside the same way. If only she hadn't noticed the revealing strapless back. Otherwise, she would have deemed it perfect.

That left a sapphire blue number that had a hem ending just past her knees. Out of the four, it resembled a formal gown the least, which she took as a plus. Dances never had interested her for many reasons and consistently failed to impress her. All people ever did was rub up against each other in an attempt to be as seductive as possible.

There were thin shoulder straps along with a few sequins of a deeper blue along the waist. Streaks of silver glitter dashed across the beautiful fabric…or at least, that was what it looked like to her, as though they were comets racing across the night sky. Under the dim lighting of the shop, the relatively short dress sparkled and gleamed. Not one normally wont toward anything girly, Sera found herself immediately taken with it. Once she saw herself in it in the mirror, she blinked disbelievingly.

How come she didn't despise it on sight? Glitter and sequins…She never liked them even as a little girl. Back then, she preferred to splash around in the mud, play with bugs, and other outdoor activities. Then again, Sera had become a woman since that faraway time, so naturally, her attitudes would change. She just didn't realize it had been this drastic.

Penny approved, too. "That's the best one on you, I think. That's my professional opinion. Blue is a great color on you."

Sera couldn't resist nodding and smiling, internally tempted to perform a twirl. "I agree. This is the one I'm buying."

"OK. And I'll show you some perfumes you can choose from and maybe some cosmetics. How does that sound?"

"Good. Just as long as I can get a good deal," she replied, ever the attentive bargain hunter.

Sure enough, with a reasonable amount of haggling, Sera settled on lavender- and jasmine-scented perfume along with the very basics when it came to make-up: foundation, lipstick, and eye-shadow. It could have been her tomboyish outlook, but she had never been a huge fan of make-up. Oh, she would apply it tonight, so as not to waste it or her gil, but she would rarely have it on.

What would be the point?

However, she grudgingly admitted to herself as she left with her plastic bag full of feminine items, she did nab a decent deal. Better than Mr. Hallos, that was for sure. And she'd gotten the correct amount in change, another bonus. As someone hated throughout all Midgar, she'd learned to be ever vigilant and always shrewd over money matters.

Thus, with this slightly girly business taken care of, all she could do in the meantime was wait until seven o'clock approached. After that, she had no idea of what could possibly happen.

* * *

><p>Of all things to be inexperienced at…Sera glowered at her very slightly cracked mirror as she slowly applied her cherry red lipstick. What if it smeared even a centimeter past her lips? Anything Reno could poke fun at, he would, including this stupid makeover.<p>

What the hell possessed her to buy make-up anyway? Sera theorized that maybe it was because she hadn't wanted to discourage Penny. Or something.

Well, all shop clerks had to be con artists, absolutely had to be. As one herself, she was highly aware she wasn't that type, but that was because she was honest. She could play friendly and helpful only to fit the job description. At least she kept at it. One day, she might actually mean her optimistic smiles and kind words.

Who knew if she was a hypocrite? Her reflection in the mirror, wearing an irritated and somewhat insecure frown, couldn't answer for her.

Enough of this deep contemplation. If he was precisely on time, Reno would show up in fifteen minutes. She had to hurry up with this.

Believing her lipstick application to be sufficient enough, she moved on to dusting her eyelids with the gold shadow and with the brush that came with the palette. Out of her choices, she liked the gold the best. Her amber eyes could really stand out and…

Snorting disdainfully at her renewed discovery of color coordination, Sera finished her eyelids quickly. She took a second thorough look in the mirror to check on how well her endeavor went.

Hm…Not too bad, actually. She could barely recognize herself in that cracked mirror. Whether that was a good or a bad thing remained to be seen. For now, she would have to take solace in that she for once did what a normal girl would do before her first date.

Yes, twenty-one and on her first date…What a terrifying thought.

Fate's dark sense of humor struck again when somebody knocked on the door. With another glance at the clock, Sera found that it was currently ten minutes to seven. That made no sense at all. Last time he'd decided to mosey on over to her house with her reluctant permission, he'd been late. Awfully odd for him to show up early. She'd always taken him to be the "fashionably late" type…unless alcohol was involved, of course.

Anxiously, she glanced at the mirror one last time to make sure she looked presentable. As much as she hated herself for going to this extent, she patted her hair, freed from the mostly present ponytail for a change. She growled irritably for being this much of a perfectionist before finally forcing herself to leave the room. It was for the best. Any longer and she would have torn her bedroom apart in a part fitful rage and part neurosis.

Purse in tow and heels clicking on the wooden floor, Sera slipped out into the hallway as furtively as possible. She had to pull off a grand yet casual entrance so as not to alert Reno to her nerves.

Nerves? Ha! Why would she be the slightest bit nervous over having to put up with the troublesome redhead for the night? If anything, she should have been annoyed.

"She's just about finished fixing herself up," she could hear her grandmother mention downstairs and with a subtle hint of pride. "I think that she's looking forward to tonight, if you want my opinion. She's been up in her room for an hour! I have _never _noticed her being holed up in there for so long before going anywhere."

Sera shook her head, embarrassed that it was being revealed she had been going out of her way to look this good. Fabulous, she supposed Yuffie would mock. She would have placed her face in her hands, but then, it would have messed up her make-up.

Reno drawled, "Well, Rosemary, I'm sure she is looking forward to our date. I know I most certainly am."

She motioned ramming her finger down her throat and subsequently choking. This guy presented lie after insidious lie. He knew just how to flatter Grandma, didn't he?

_Better late than never, _she internalized with a soft sigh as she smoothed down her skirt. With one hand on the rail, she gradually made her descent.

Unfazed, Sera noted that he still wore his work uniform, which was as wrinkled as usual. Nothing out of the ordinary there—no tuxedo, no khakis, and not even anything resembling a pimp outfit. She snorted.

Then again, she recalled Reno didn't exactly work a nine-to-five job. Quite the contrary, Shinra hours were fairly whacky. It wouldn't have alarmed her if he received a call regarding such-and-such mobster during dinner.

Preparing to show herself off, proud as a peacock, she went the rest of the way down after her momentary pause.

"Serafina, dear, look at you!" Grandma beamed, clasping her hands together in total rapture. "You are beautiful."

Reno turned around then to gauge the beauty in question, and briefly, he let his mouth fall open in slack-jawed amazement.

Sera wished she had a camera at that moment. The evening she broke Reno's nonchalance! Perhaps it would be something to show the grandchildren.

As she suspected, this impressed look didn't last, for he smirked arrogantly and remarked, "Gotta say, you clean up well, Serafin."

She would let this slide for once because this was his version of a compliment, as skewered as it was. At least he didn't utter the "when you feel like it" she knew he was tempted to say.

"Thanks, Reno." She then turned toward Grandma. "I'll be home by ten. See you later."

It seemed that the elderly woman was so full of happiness that she could burst. Sera figured it was because of the discovery that she, the beloved granddaughter, finally got a life outside of work.

Grandma lightly pinched her cheeks, admiring both the makeover and the sparkling casual dress that went with it. Shifting from foot to foot, Sera smiled anxiously, wondering what Reno's perspective on this family moment was.

Finally, Grandma stood back, satisfied with the inspection. "I really hope you have a good time, sweetie. Bye."

"Bye," Sera and Reno spoke in unison before the latter took her by the hand, leading her out the door.

As soon as they walked down a few feet away from the house, she twisted her hand out of Reno's, as though wrenching it away from the mouth of a cobra. "If you do that again, I swear…"

"What? Rosemary deserved to see us holding hands." He snickered.

"You're really something else, you know that?" Sera crossed her arms, shaking her head at his behavior yet again.

He melodramatically bowed. "Glad to be of service."

She gave him the silent treatment the rest of the way toward his car. Not due to legitimate grudging anger (though he was off to a rocky start) but because she preferred to do this on a whim. Meanwhile, he chatted about how his four hours of work had been, how Elena had blown up at him over something (Sera was barely listening), and other Shinra-related matters.

She was none too pleased at the sight of that company car, but she felt too tense and subsequently weary to care. Nonetheless, she took shotgun because why not? Reno had drifted off into his own little world.

Was she going on a date or getting kidnapped? Somehow, she assumed, these two possibilities were one and the same.

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><p><strong>AN: Hm, not much for me to say here. Only that girls like Sera, who'd pretend they don't care about dating, especially people like Reno, secretly shake in their boots on the first date. As everybody does. At the same time, she really does feel like she's lost a bet. XDD**

**Hope you enjoyed. One of the last of the truly light-hearted chapters will be on its way.**

**And happy 4th of July, U.S. readers! Another thing for me to add is that I'm also starting to edit previous chapters of this story, since I'm not exactly 100% happy with how they turned out. Enjoy the fireworks.**


	11. Above and Beyond

**A/N: Hey, everyone! Welcome to the date/characterization chapter in which there will be more things said about Reno and Sera than ever before. The irony of the chapter title is not lost on me, considering...yeah, I definitely made this chapter way long. But for a purpose, as I hope you will see.**

**Before you read on, I'd like to make some music listening suggestions, for those who are interested. These songs have definitely helped with this chapter especially: "City" by Sara Bareilles, "Cry Me a River" by Diana Krall (great cover of an old standard), "Green in Blue" by Miles Davis, anything off Norah Jones' Come Away with Me album ("Nearness of You" particularly), and just about anything jazzy that was in the Cowboy Bebop soundtrack.**

**Yeah, a lot of inspirations, but there's definitely a theme that connects them. So, happy reading. :)**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 10: Above and Beyond<strong>

The first few minutes passed in mostly silence as Reno gradually drove his way out of Midgar. Not an easy task, given the sorry state of the roads and the people obstructing the way at points. The third time this happened, Reno laid on the horn and yelled obscenities, which caused Sera to smirk in amusement. It was clear enough that he avoided driving in this ruined town whenever possible.

"What's the matter?" she spoke up then. "Having a hard time through here?"

He snorted. "No shit. No one likes to move out of the way around here."

"I'd forgive them—they're probably stoned."

Miraculously, she received a scathing chuckle from him as a reaction, a sound that made her think of rusted nails drowning in whiskey. Of course, it wasn't one of his more pleasant laughs, but she was well-aware that he had his misanthropic moments. Didn't everybody?

More excruciating minutes lurched with no further conversation. Sera couldn't help but sense this had the potentiality to be awkward. Aside from exchanging banter and quarreling with him, she couldn't imagine what to discuss. For lack of a better alternative, she looked out the window to see where they were heading. At this point, it appeared that Reno had escaped the winding, crowded roads of Midgar for the considerably less clogged highway.

The one that she loved to drive through on her motorcycle.

She sighed heavily. He had told her very recently that he couldn't be shut in when it came to his always extroverted verging on obnoxious personality. Well, she couldn't be captive in a different way entirely. The space in closed vehicles, particularly this car, felt too small, too compact. She needed air, that rush of adrenaline. Being a front-seat passenger instead of driving herself was honestly a more claustrophobic experience.

Maybe this was taking into account her company for the night as well.

Sera concluded that out in the open by herself was where she belonged. She'd always sucked at small talk anyway. Ironic but a fact nonetheless.

As she was losing herself upon gazing at the very bright full moon, Reno brought her back to reality with a clearing of his throat. "Hey."

"What?" She might have sounded too snappish, but she never liked being interrupted in the midst of her ruminations.

"Wanna listen to some music?" he asked, lazily gesturing toward the radio with his right hand while his left remained on the steering wheel. Huh, she never realized he was left-handed. Either way, Sera distrusted those who couldn't have both hands on the wheel.

"Hm…sure."

"Any preference?"

She shrugged with an accompanying small smile. "As long as it's not hip-hop."

Her smile widened when she saw him wince and heard him utter a low groan.

"And I suppose that's your favorite station."

A slight nod in response though he looked on with sharp eyes at the road ahead. "You might say that."

"That explains a lot."

He sniffed. "Huh. Do tell."

"Well, just your slangish way of talking and your cocky attitude. I think hip-hop fits your personality quite well."

Judging from the nonplussed expression on his face, Sera could tell he didn't know whether to be offended or not at this observation. She hoped that he wouldn't push the subject further with another question because this was something he would just have to figure out for himself. With that in mind, she tried not to laugh.

"Eh, fine, you win. No hip-hop. I guess I can go without it tonight. Hope classical ain't your forte because there won't be any of that shit in _my _car."

In spite of his stern request, thus seemingly running what went on in the car with an iron fist, Reno didn't mess with the dial. He surrendered that duty to Sera, since he didn't want too many extraneous distractions pestering him. They compromised with a rock station, fast guitars and pounding drums, sweet music to her ears. Less than thrilled about not listening to his preferred music, Reno still seemed to tolerate what was selected. Good. She couldn't deal with a pouty man-baby, not tonight.

As they drew nearer to their destination, with the first bright lights and buildings within sight, Sera looked toward him again inquisitively. "Where are we going anyway?"

"Just some place I go to every once in a while…"

Decidedly vague, of course. Reno struck her as the restless type, constantly wandering from one place to another without putting down any roots. It most certainly summed up his dating life…if it could be called that. As for the destination, it could be just about anywhere as well. He went wherever the wind took him.

Narrowing her eyes a bit warily, she murmured, "Where you wine and dine the women often?"

She wasn't stupid. His reputation as a womanizer preceded itself. Whether or not it was to his disadvantage remained to be seen. Probably not. He literally got away with murder on those assassinations he did…for a living.

Reno glared at her in a way Sera deemed too playful before putting most of his concentration back on the road. "Nah. I usually pick them up at bars and clubs…when I feel like going, that is. I'm either on a job or sleeping, one of the two."

_When not drinking or having sex, _she thought, sneering to herself.

With a roguish smile pulling at his lips, he added, "They usually come to me."

Whereas all the guys stayed far, far away from her "erratic" and "dangerous" self. Powerful women weren't exactly prizes to be won from the male perspective, especially if they were anything like her. If only she was that lucky in attracting men. Oh, right, her sexism crutch, how could she forget?

Sera chose not to allude to this as she bragged calmly and complacently, "Yeah, guys will try to flirt with me, too. I have to keep them off me, they're so damn persistent."

Reno chuckled, "Liar."

These Turks couldn't be fooled, the closest Shinra had to a fully trained agency at their disposal. She sighed ruefully at this, previously assured that it had been a great lie. Nothing could escape his notice. He might have played being a dolt as well, but it was all for show in reality. As crafty as he was, he proved himself quite sharp and intelligent. Too bad he couldn't put those smarts to better use.

She feigned a laugh. "OK, you caught me. They're all assholes to me, actually."

He detected the falseness of her humor, and then, those keen teal eyes abruptly narrowed to slits. "Have they threatened you?"

"A few times…," she trailed off, her smile fading.

"Yeah, well…" Another shift in expression as he grinned, the lights from outside making his eyes glow like mako and his teeth glisten. "Since you're with me tonight, consider this a break from macho man stupidity."

Giving him a sidelong glance, Sera wondered if she ought to have been even the slightest bit concerned over potential mood swings. One minute, Reno had seemed irked at the idea that men sank so low as to try antagonizing her. It wouldn't have surprised her if malicious thoughts of teaching those guys a lesson or two through violent means had crossed his mind.

The next minute, he was as casual and laid-back as ever, offering her a flashy grin to alleviate whatever doubts she'd been harboring.

She shook her head at her own expense. She would never be able to fully comprehend him in spite of how much time they spend around each other.

Thus, she essentially put away her confusion by smiling at him in return. "Thanks. I guess the guy's guy has a chivalrous side, too."

He emitted a derisive snort as he stopped at a red light. "Eh…when you compare me to those meatheads anyway. Picking on a woman…Why the hell do they even bother?"

And they left it that.

* * *

><p>Eventually, after five more minutes or so, Reno turned into the parking lot of a fairly ritzy restaurant. Sera was mildly surprised that he had managed to find a decent spot at all, what with the many cars taking up so much space. Studying the looks of all these vehicles, she also realized that the spiffy company car didn't exactly look out of place among them.<p>

At that moment, she made the conclusion that Shinra money was a lot like mob money. Salaries were practically luxurious yet earned through copious amounts of blood.

Quite courteously, Reno opened the door for her to get out. He had displayed such an old-fashioned gesture that she remained sitting there for a brief moment in utter disbelief that she'd witnessed this from him. Then, she rationally pulled herself together and reluctantly took hold of his hand, so cool in hers.

_Damn it, don't blush, _she scolded herself.

Once they entered the restaurant, Sera froze in place yet again, enthralled with the scene before her, so very appealing to the eye. The interior looked absolutely stunning. She stood on rich crimson carpet. There were potted plants on either side of the entry doors, including indigo orchids, rare and expensive from the looks of them. Over the wooden barrier, she could see round tables draped in white linen and some square tables with booth seats near the windows. The waiters and waitresses she observed bustling about with dishes and menus were dressed rather formally as well.

And it was Reno treating her to this. Reno, the man who wouldn't bother to dress up for a date and opting instead to remain slovenly in appearance.

Even more astoundingly, he told the maître d' that he had a table reserved.

What?!

He continued to blindside her in the most befuddling ways. Was this the same man who proved to be impossible time and time again? His skills at unnerving and infuriating her were second to none. And yet, he did this. He put forth effort for this night, more than she did in some respects.

When they were seated at a booth table, Sera demonstrated her complete and total shock by lifting her hands and shaking her head. "I'm…I'm speechless, Reno. I really am. You've pulled off all the stops."

Reno seemed idly interested in examining his hand, the perfect imitation of a self-satisfied monarch. "Yep, I know. I bet you're wondering how I did it. So, tell me how great I am."

She rolled her eyes before picking up her menu to pore over its contents. "Don't push your luck. You knew how stubborn I was going to be. That's probably why you went out of your way to reserve a table here. I'm more difficult to lure."

"Are you ever gonna stop suspecting me of having an ulterior motive for everything I do?" Sighing, he jutted out his lower lip slightly like a petulant child as he browsed his menu.

"Nope."

He glanced back up to her, his eyes aglow with teasing. "Smart lady."

Of course, he wouldn't be so easily cowed, no matter how frequently she would scold or attempt to undermine him in conversation. Every time, he was going to rise to the challenge and be the foil to her plans, so to speak.

Now that she reflected on all those instances, she realized she quite enjoyed the volleying back and forth. It was as if both of them played a game of wits. There was something to take from that in that it was fun first and foremost.

As long as she was winning, of course.

Soon after Reno had complimented her intelligence (an ego boost, to be sure), a waiter came to take their order. Sera chose to have filet mignon with a side of steamed broccoli and another of green salad. And Reno ordered medium well steak with barbeque sauce with a side of Portobello mushrooms. He certainly liked to indulge—at least that was her impression. To top it all off, he also requested a bottle of Merlot wine for the two of them to share.

"No way!" Sera exclaimed as soon as the waiter walked away with the menus. "There's just no possible…That's my favorite wine!"

Raising a bemused eyebrow at her, for he was almost skeptical of her manic excitement, Reno remarked, "Huh. Is that so? Merlot is my favorite, too…when I feel like drinking wine, that is."

"When you're not wasted on vodka, that is." She smirked in a superior manner.

Snickering, he leaned back in his chair and folded his arms across his chest. "You think I'm that much of an alcoholic?"

"I _know _you're that much of an alcoholic, Reno."

He laughed, more fully and pronounced. "What do you suggest I do about it then?"

"Depends. Does Healen Lodge double as a rehabilitation facility?" Sera leaned forward, placing her hands atop clasped hands, awaiting his response.

"I don't need rehab. I love drinking, but I'm not an addict," he swiftly denied yet grinned craftily, curious about what she would say next. This was getting intriguing for him.

"Uh-huh, that's what they all say. OK, so rehab isn't an option. How about a swift kick in the head then? That can be arranged."

Although it wasn't out of the ordinary for her to mention causing violence and pain and suffering to him in a normally irritated fashion, this was the first time that Sera genuinely joked about it. There was no malice or viciousness behind it either, as she maintained a relatively light tone. She never thought she could be as carefree as she was in that regard.

She was thankful that they both shared a dark sense of humor when Reno laughed. Shortly thereafter, she joined in, and their laughter combined to create a companionable sound. Two sick people delighting in twisted jokes.

They made quite a pair indeed.

At that moment, her previously sour presentiments over the date softened, and Sera decided that this would be a great time after all. So far, she hadn't tried fleeing from the scene. This felt like a date, no bondage and no being held against her will. Mentally, she crossed out "kidnapping" from her list of tonight's descriptions.

They were served their main course meals within approximately forty-five minutes, though they continued breezily conversing as they ate. Sera found herself immensely pleased with how well this date was working out. The lost-a-bet feeling evaporated completely as she soon became engrossed with their talking and him in general, honestly.

She knew that she would wake up tomorrow with her regular frustration intact. But, having this one night would be the highlight, the time when Remo was being sincerely amiable without being a jerk about it. At least they were both seeing different sides to each other for a change, slightly more vulnerable than usual, less guarded.

In spite of them acting like a couple on the surface, the small talk and getting-to-know-each-other topics were quite unorthodox. An example of this was when Reno asked Sera why she had chosen a motorcycle for transportation. She cheerfully explained that she loved the sensation of the wind rushing through her, the fact that it was quite the maneuverable vehicle, the cost-effectiveness of it in comparison to a car, less gas needed…The more she talked about her motorcycle, the more animated she got. Her already bright eyes shone. And she used more hand gestures at an exponential rate. Reno couldn't help but notice.

"I even have a name for it. I haven't told anyone, actually." Sera chuckled, savoring the taste of the tender beef on her tongue. She needed something to chew on and a distraction to avoid the subject. Of course, she was foolish enough to bring it up in the first place. Naturally, Reno wanted to pursue it.

"What is it?" he asked, chewing on a portion of his steak but nevertheless focused on her.

"…Phoenix." She winced, ready for him to laugh at her lame choice in name.

Instead, he appeared contemplative for a moment before responding with, "That's not that bad. Sounds cool. Especially in comparison to the name I give my car—oh."

He realized his error too late as Sera smiled widely. "Oh? And what would that be?"

"Not tellin'."

Pursing her lips in a pout, she pretended to sound whiny. "Please. I admitted that I have a name for my motorcycle. The least you can do is—"

"OK, OK, fine. It's Angel."

In all fairness, she should have held back her giggling since he had had the grace not to even smirk at her. However, she couldn't resist and ended up nearly crying from laughter. Angel, really? Was he so typical that he had to bestow his car with a pet name he probably used in half of his pick-up lines? This was comedy gold!

At least there was some degree of symbolism behind her choice, deeper than Phoenix sounding cool.

Reno covered his face with his hand. "Knew this would be a bad idea, telling you…"

"Could be worse." She wiped at her eyes. "You could have called it Babe."

"Shut up."

There was little fight behind the command, so more or less, he was too humiliated to redeem himself. Seeing him in his wounded pride oddly filled her with glee.

Yet, not wanting him to suffer for much longer, Sera respectfully changed the subject. "So, what's the story behind those tattoos on your face?"

Reno appeared to perk up from his self-pity, now that she switched to his favorite topic: himself.

"Oh, you mean these?" He pointed to the bright red swishes near and under his eyes. "Not much to tell, really. I got drunk one night, decided it'd be cool if I got a tattoo, and that's how I ended up with them. They're great, if I do say so myself."

She shook her head with a touch of fondness. "I wonder how many of your stories begin with 'I got drunk one night'."

His grin was quite smug. "Believe me, we'd be here all night."

Although she couldn't believe the arrogance over his idiotic antics, she laughed with him yet again.

There had been music playing out back the whole time they dined, Sera carefully noted, since she was entertaining a rather sentimental idea. It wouldn't leave her alone, only becoming more and more prevalent in her thoughts as she finished eating. On an ordinary day, she wasn't a romantic but a moody realist looking out cautiously for herself.

Tonight, she felt different but not in an off-putting way.

The go-getter side of her was aching to jump at the chance to take this date one step further. She absentmindedly tapped her fork against her plate while waiting for Reno to finish and formulating her plan.

When he felt her eyes gazing attentively at him, he lifted his head from the remains of the steak. He sipped his wine too, playing it cool once more without revealing what he thought.

"So, what's up?"

Motioning with her head toward the glass doors opposite them, Sera murmured, "I think this place has musical entertainment."

"Yeah, they always do on Saturday nights. So?"

She inwardly snarled in frustration. Could he be any more dense? The Merlot was probably starting to cloud his senses.

Suddenly shy, she twirled some of her hair around her finger. "Well, I was thinking that…you and I could maybe…dance."

His bemusement made her even less sure of herself. She was more than prepared for the rejection that would soon follow. Numbly, Reno looked like he was attempting to grasp her implications behind her plan. It was a fairly standard date idea, though, and why he would downright refuse was beyond her.

He blurted out, "Are you drunk?"

"Are you? You've had half the damn bottle," she countered as soon as he asked and did so defensively as well as bluntly.

"OK, not drunk, just…Turks don't dance."

"Did anyone ever tell you that some rules were made to be broken? That goes for the ones you've made yourself, Reno." Sera's voice softened. "Just one night. And who do we know in here who will care?"

Ah, she got him there. It could have been the alcohol fogging up his quick wit, but Reno couldn't come up with a proper rebuttal to that. And he wasn't one to concede to anyone willingly, especially this woman sitting across from him, staring him down. She was a firecracker, all right, with her stubborn spirit that rivaled his. He looked down at his glass and sighed. OK, why the hell not?

"Good point," he grudged, not without annoyance.

Sera beamed, knowing that she was winning. "I'm glad you're smart enough to see that. But, um"—she slightly faltered in an attempt to negotiate—"I'm not trying to piss you off or anything. I really do want to dance…with you."

Was she blushing? Most likely. The warmth was creeping in, and she felt like a schoolgirl with him as witness to her stumbling mannerisms. How degrading.

She plowed the rest of the way through. "If that's OK with you, of course."

Feigning long musing, Reno murmured, "Hm…I guess I could make an exception."

"You better." Sera promptly bounced back. "Otherwise…Ah, hell with it, let's get out there. Nice night for dancing."

And she couldn't suppress her ecstatic grin as he accompanied her outside.

* * *

><p>The dance floor consisted of smoothed-out stones, but the décor and the band were more to brag about. Colorful, vivid paper lanterns hung on wires overhead while the band played on a makeshift stage. Most of the music comprised of smooth jazz tunes with an occasional upbeat number. All in all, this floor was implicitly reserved for the couples, for those who could appreciate the intimacy of the music. Sera hadn't considered herself a huge jazz fan…at least not before tonight.<p>

"This is beautiful," she whispered, awestruck at the expert skill of the band, the luminescent, soft glow of the lamps, and the people in love. She was a skeptic but pondered over whether or not her faith had been restored in that powerful magic.

Love, so simple yet so rare.

Unaccustomed to seeing her like this, her being such a starry-eyed dreamer, Reno let slip a small smile that still managed to resemble a smirk. So, all it took for her to relax was some pretty lights and slow music, huh? If he had known that, he would have provided her with all that ages ago.

As it was, he liked to think this was his idea. The end result made her happy, after all.

He held out a hand toward her. "Well, what are you waiting for?"

"One important ground rule, though." She turned back toward him, pinning him with a grave look.

"Yeah, OK, shoot."

She smirked, priding herself on knowing his mind's inner workings. "No touching my ass. That's part of First Date 101."

Reno groaned, with a shake of his head, and muttered, "Aw, I knew you would say that," but it was all in jest. Somehow, he didn't feel the need to subject her to that type of touching anyway. Who would grope on the first date?

Oh…well, never mind.

Nonetheless, he could be self-deprecating once in a while.

Noticing his grin that showed he was kidding about being cut-up over the issue, Sera didn't resist smiling back. "Besides, I want you to wait. Instant gratification isn't good for a man like you. You need to be told 'no' every once in a while."

With that said, she took hold of his still outstretched hand, allowing him to lead her toward all the blissful couples. In the meantime, he chuckled incredulously at how spunky she was, always prepared with a punishing comeback.

From her point of view, Sera gave him lucky breaks tonight. She had had many opportunities to bash him, to call him out on his elaborate prank, or even to sulk over her lack of choice when it came to this situation. The underlying reason she hadn't chosen to act on any of those impulses was that she was having fun. Additionally, Reno hadn't been rubbing all of this in to get her riled up. Rather, he seemed to be enjoying himself, too.

Once they were out on the dance floor, he pulled her toward him, making sure that he kept his hands off her derriere in the process. The promptness of the action left her breathless as she directly latched her gaze onto him.

His eyes were such a dazzling shade of blue, especially with the lights of the lanterns reflecting off them. While wrapping both of her arms around his neck, she truly saw him up-close for the first time. Had he always been that handsome? She was usually too busy shouting herself hoarse at him to be this observant.

Sera haltingly cleared her throat. "Well, well, considering how you were acting earlier, you sure seem eager to dance with me now."

Reno winked at her. "I bluffed."

"Uh-huh, sure you did. You were pouting like a spoiled kid before."

With his long-fingered hands on her waist, he drew her even closer toward him. Her heart rate picked up considerably and not out of rage this time.

Leaning toward her ear, he whispered teasingly, "As if I would pass up the chance to touch you."

"Pervert."

"Killjoy."

Sera couldn't see it, but she could certainly feel that roguish grin of his. For once, she thought it was sexy. Being pressed up against him didn't hurt either when it came to that alteration of opinion.

When he gave her back her space, she sneered, "Just shut up and dance before we're reduced to even more name-calling…like ginger."

"Oh, low blow, Serafin," he retorted amusedly yet pretended he was hurt.

Chuckling triumphantly, she mentally deemed it for the best that she quit the bantering.

If they talked any more, they would kill the moment. She wanted nothing more than to hear the slow, sensual jazz music and to dance, to gradually unwind and be comfortable in his arms. Easier said than done—she was a little anxious but maintained their close distance.

In the end, it didn't take her very long to summon enough confidence to relax in his arms. She matched him step for step, though did stumble a couple times, as this wasn't something she was used to. As for Reno, he was a surprisingly good dancer, although it wasn't as if they performed particularly complicated moves. All the same, Sera was curious as to why he could instinctively move with such elegance. She could only guess that it came to him naturally, since he had that slender yet strong body. She couldn't help but admire those toned muscles that she felt, being this close.

The whole world melted away, leaving only the two of them, swaying to the music. A dreamy thought occurred to her that she might want to stay like this forever.

She leaned her head against his shoulder, catching the scent of rich, spicy cologne mixed in with laundry detergent. Of course, there was that faint aroma of cigarettes that would always persist, but he smelled heavenly overall. She was sorely tempted to tease him about how he had actually remembered to wash his clothes and care about personal hygiene, but she didn't dare spoil the moment, captivating as it was.

If dating him would always be like this, then she could embrace the idea. Perhaps she would ask him out next time.

Astoundingly, neither one of them spoke throughout their dancing.

* * *

><p>Reno had parked the Shinra car almost two blocks away from Sera's house for two reasons.<p>

One was the obvious seeing her home, the polite thing for him to do despite contrasting from his typical egoist nature. Yes, this, coming from the guy who accidentally closed the door on Elena's face once, as oblivious as he was to the people around him. And she'd given him an earful about it later, too. Considerate wasn't his middle name.

As for the other reason, he was still curious about Sera, even though they had spent almost three hours together. He just wanted a nice walk with her and a simple chat.

"So," he commented while idly kicking a crumpled soda can out of the way. "I noticed you didn't have those knives with you tonight."

"Ah, you know I have them?" Sera smirked before sobering. "I decided that I didn't need them, since I didn't think you were going to kidnap me, after all."

"Huh?!" He stopped abruptly, bewildered by her perfectly straight face.

"Got you!"

"You're hilarious," Reno deadpanned with a shake of his head.

Laughing, she pulled his jacket tighter around her. She hadn't minded the chilly night air when they were dancing, but it was considerably cooler, presently. He had had the decency and courtesy enough to offer her his jacket but not without a firm command to give it back to him ASAP once he walked her home. Clearly, he didn't bestow random acts of kindness every day.

He'd acted like it would ruin his reputation. She had thought the gesture very sweet of him. There was some sincerity he had tucked away, after all. Funny, how he'd make such a big deal over a jacket.

Backtracking to the subject of the knives, Reno asked, "Where did you get them anyway?"

"First of all, they're called Gemini. And where I got them…Well, you wouldn't believe this, but I nabbed them at a pawn shop for, like, fifteen gil. I'd been looking for something to use to defend myself with when I first got here. Besides, I like twirling them around. Intimidates those idiots, you know."

Oh, he could relate to her there. There was something to be said in finding then having in possession a great weapon. It definitely made him feel more powerful.

He nodded in understanding. "Sure. Nothing beats teaching assholes a lesson."

"Only if they deserve it, of course," she replied off-hand, fingering the chocobo necklace that went seamlessly well with her dress.

Her mother had never been the type to seek vengeance on anyone. Sera wondered what she would think now if…

The flash of silver grabbed his attention, leading him to ask yet another question. "Where did you get that from?"

Pretending to be affronted, she replied dryly, "Next, I suppose you want to know where I go to get my hair done," before glancing down at her keepsake. "You mean this? It was originally my mother's. She gave it to me for my thirteenth birthday, to celebrate that I was on my way to becoming a woman. Then, she…Um…"

She felt her throat close up, betraying some of her thoughts and emotions, and she looked away from those inquisitive teal eyes. For lack of anything better to do, she fiddled with her beloved pendant, willing for her mother to be here. She needed that strong maternal guidance she'd had to live without for so long now. Granted, she had Grandma Rosemary, but it just wasn't the same.

Sera then tensed when she felt his hand on her shoulder. "It's OK. I mean, you don't have to talk about it if you don't want to. Just thought the necklace was cool."

Had he bothered to remember? Well, whatever, she wouldn't assume things. It would only make their conversation exceedingly awkward.

"Yeah, I know. I just spaced out," she lied, half-smiling.

Luckily, what was reliable about Reno (and very few things were) was that he could sense when it was best to drop the subject. As tenacious as he could be, he knew where to draw the line.

They continued on their nocturnal stroll, the conversation considerably lighter from where it had previously been, but Sera didn't forget. Old habits die hard, but she wished that adage could apply to old memories as well. She would be more unburdened than where she currently was in life.

Nonetheless, she did feel quite at ease with Reno, and his presence made her less lonely. She never could have predicted that day ever happening. The annoying redhead being some sort of balm…Funnier still.

They came upon the sad shape of her house sooner than she had expected or liked. Inevitably, Sera was tired from the night's exhilarating events, and her feet were killing her, no thanks to dancing in heels. She made a mental note not to strap her feet in those torture devices again anytime soon.

She turned so that she was facing Reno. "Well…Miraculously, I actually had a great time tonight. Without suffering a brain aneurysm, no less."

Rolling his eyes jokingly, he chuckled. "Me too…especially the part with no aneurysm."

They exchanged smiles, quietly gazing at each other, each with unique thoughts of the other. If Sera had the chance to relive this night, she would. She didn't regret a second of their time together. In the morning, they would go back to their respective roles, but she wouldn't forget this either.

Sera often prided and cursed herself, in turns, on having a long memory.

Presently, there was a flicker of some strange emotion in his eyes she normally never associated with him. Tonight must have made an impact on him, too.

"Your grandmother was right about you earlier."

Almost instinctively, she stepped closer to Reno upon hearing this. His words confused her, and yet, his tone conveyed a meaning that held so much more. She didn't think him the type to come up with tricky riddles, but he didn't seem forthcoming either.

If her presumption was right, this was the closest he had ever come to calling her beautiful. The tender way he spoke to her all but confirmed it.

"Thanks," she whispered, her heart now pounding in her ears, face flushing again. Was this seriously happening?

Later, she couldn't satisfyingly explain to herself why or how, but she found herself touching his face. That lean structure was inexplicably alluring enough for her to explore.

She traced the tattoos on his cheekbones and then moved on to his jawline before she paused to hold his face in her hands. She doubted she had ever been this attracted to a man before, not like this. Something pulled her forcibly toward him, separating him from all the others out there. Those men were just the background, and he…he stood center stage.

Sera let out a shaky sigh.

He smelled so good and his face was perfect and those eyes…Damn, she remembered thinking how she could drown in them, but it wasn't just the blue-green eyes any more. It was all of him that she desired, with cool logic tossed out the window.

Why fight it?

As she narrowed the space between them, she could feel his warm breath on her lips.

His eyes were half-closed, and she closed hers too, placing her hands back down to his shoulders.

He carefully lowered his head, eyes fully closing.

She drew back.

Damn it.

Discouraged at her nerves hitting her at the last minute, Sera walked toward the door. She couldn't determine what held her back. It could have been a number of things.

Oh. She still had his jacket. That was the chance to redeem herself.

Reno hadn't deserted yet, most likely aware of his missing jacket, too. Making sure that she didn't screw up this time, she handed it back to him and kissed him on the cheek. Was it rushed? Yes, but she would kiss him tonight in some way if it was the last thing she did.

Assured of her goal, she smiled. "Good night."

"Good night," he whispered, and she thrilled to how breathy he sounded. Almost as if she had caught him off his guard.

Mission accomplished, Sera went inside.

Eagerly, she took one last peek at him as she was closing the door.

And she knew that she won.

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><p><strong>AN: And there you go, the date chapter! Hopefully, I managed to meet some expectations with this. But, don't worry, this doesn't mean the story will get dull after this. Au contraire...In fact...There will definitely be some more of Reno's POV coming up soon. I think I can tease that much without giving anything away. I haven't worked on next chapter yet, but I'll start working on it tomorrow...I mean, later today. -_-**

**Til then, later.**


	12. A Revealing Interlude

**A/N: ****All right, guys, so here's the next chapter, finally. And this is my Reno POV chapter, so I hope you guys enjoy it. I tried to be as precise as possible in characterizing him because I am well aware of how complex he is, even though he might SEEM simple.**

**By the way, yes, I watched Comic Con panels on Youtube over the weekend (thus my lack of updating, heh), and I did see that Loki moment. It was glorious. XDD**

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><p><strong>Chapter 11: A Revealing Interlude<strong>

Well, it appeared as though that Serafin continued to surprise him in ways he never anticipated. It truly never ceased to amaze him how, when he expected one thing, she threw him a curveball. In some cases, those curveballs crashed hard enough into him that they probably damaged something. Usually, his cool, laid-back façade would be the fatality.

But, wow, tonight's curveball was massive.

Reno smiled softly at the Ashcroft residence, one that had certainly seen better days, before walking back to his car. Shrugging back into his uniform jacket, he haphazardly smoothed out wrinkles he never bothered to look at. To think, she had been wearing it just a moment ago, looking finer than any woman he had cared to socialize with in the past.

Then again, most of those other women hadn't been particularly special, ones who couldn't consistently hold his attention. Like a gas station, he'd use them and take off. In other words, Serafin was one lucky lady who should have considered wearing his warm, cozy jacket a badge of honor.

Should have? Ha, she most likely had! He himself had felt honored to see her in it.

On the drive home, Reno treated himself to a mental overview of the date, in a play-by-play style. He couldn't resist the temptation, since she had indeed looked drop-dead gorgeous, jacket notwithstanding. Despite her stunning makeover, she had been just as spicy as ever, what with her contributions to their sardonic dialogue. It was like things hadn't changed, at least in that respect.

Slowing down slightly, letting another sleek black car pass his, Reno abruptly changed the radio station from rock to jazz. What could he say? The stuff wasn't half-bad.

Hm, so what had changed? Oh yeah, potentially everything else.

Well, he had to admit that the date had proven to be a nice change of pace, even if the settings were more formal than where he usually wandered. Club music was loud and raunchy, to his approval, but jazz could be soothing. Real dates weren't typically his thing. He would chat up women in a relatively respectable, friendly manner (not anywhere close to what Serafin had in her mind, likely, one more addition to her ever expanding fantasy), all charming grins and insincere flattery.

Oh, he'd slept with quite a few women in his time, definitely not a monk by any means. Just not as many as his reputation would have people believe, but that didn't necessarily matter. If anything, he welcomed that rumor surrounding him quite nonchalantly, as it only added to the mystery. Out of the four of them, the highest-ranking Turks, Reno was the wild card, the trickster. No one could predict his next move or what he calculated, as all of those secrets were masterfully concealed behind a sly grin.

The blissfully unaware people could believe what they want, but it would be irrelevant if they ever became targets of Shinra. Indeed, in spite of his over-exaggerated reputation as a ladies' man and a wastrel of a drunk, they ought never to underestimate him. He was more than capable of murder.

His job was as flashy as they came, dripping with infamy and sin, though it could get boring after a while. There were only so many targets he could take out before that dull, repetitive feeling set in. And yet, the inner sadist in him would smile maniacally with every fallen corpse, every bashed head, and every glazed eye he'd coldly look upon, well-aware that that sucker would never see again. Frankly, all he needed to disrupt the monotony was more days off. Otherwise, searching for one more hopeless wretch to destroy was the closest Reno felt to being alive. The thrill of the chase set him in motion from one day to the next. And once he had them cornered…Oh, damn, that was the best part of all, being mere seconds away from completion and victory.

He liked to think he was returning the favor to the harsh world he had had to grow up in, to survive in. It hadn't been a pretty place.

He'd made his first kill when he was thirteen, defending himself. Normal could never be his way of life.

In all of his grim cynicism, Reno smiled contemplatively on thinking about his job as he neared Edge's city limits. As sadistic as he was, being such a high-functioning sociopath, he knew that some of the best parts of tonight involved seeing Serafin smile. Now, this was one girl as jaded as he was, if not more so, but not exactly frigid. He imagined she preferred to come across that way, but no, she was rather warm like fire. She could have a hot temper fit to burn him away sometimes. Underneath that, however, was something genuine, something almost comforting.

No doubt she had had to put up with a lot of shit in her life, too. Despite this, she had joked with him, offered to dance with him…

She was another enigma to be uncovered. Part of his expertise as a Turk was figuring people out, lining up the pieces to their individual puzzle in order to see who he was dealing with.

Serafin was making this so much fun for him! Her unpredictability occasionally surprised him, particularly when she showed her softer, vulnerable side that not many others got to see. For him to see it on display tonight…Well, what did she have to hide, really? Only the boss-man seemed to know the answer to that, like he always did. It was like he was omnipresent.

Saving those factoids in his mind for later, Reno gradually parked near the curb alongside an apartment complex. He lived in a penthouse there, with not too many tenants nearby. Good, because then there were no awkward questions about his personal business. After all, duty would call at two o'clock in the morning. Rare, but it happened.

It wasn't like he would shy away from divulging what he did for a living—he took pride in his choice of career—but the less the neighbors knew, the better. They kept their noses out of his life, and he would do the same for them.

In his line of work, he couldn't afford to have too many close friends.

When he opened the door to his humble abode, he encountered Rude standing right in front of him.

"Enjoyed your outing this evening?" he asked, the full implications of his own surreptitious activities made clear in his tone.

Most other people would have been highly displeased at being spied upon like that. There was something irksome about such an invasion of privacy, especially someone observing outings that were meant to be one-on-one.

Then again, Reno had never been most people.

"You sly son of a bitch." He grinned with a very slightly disbelieving shake of his head. "So, that was you I saw on the way home."

Not too many sleek black hooded convertibles around, so that was why he'd had an inkling that he might have been tailed tonight. If he'd been on his A-game, he supposed he would have gotten more suspicious sooner.

Rude inclined his head. "Yes. An all too familiar scenario, isn't it?"

"Ah, no regrets," Reno said his motto as he promptly flopped down on his leather couch.

He proceeded to reach over for the pack of cigarettes lying on the coffee table and took out his silver lighter from his pants pocket. Out of consideration to his date or, more or less, for the restaurant that banned indoor smoking, he'd had to abstain from nicotine for three hours. That had already pushed it, given that he got slightly rattled without his vice, and he refused to quit cold turkey. The pun that term offered was not lost on him.

Meanwhile, Rude settled for leaning against the wall facing his partner and personal friend. "You still haven't answered my question."

"Oh yeah, the date? It was fine."

The ambivalence his voice conveyed contradicted how he felt deep down. As a Turk, emotions normally didn't factor into his actions. Hell, the date wasn't supposed to mean anything beyond it being a part of his assignment. Almost the equivalent of a school project. Rather, as he mulled over the night's events and what had unfolded, Reno found that he had liked the time he'd spent with Serafin. Just her eyes, the way she'd stared at him with those bizarrely, uniquely colored eyes, had been an invitation.

He added as he blew out a few smoke streams. "It was a nice shake-up from the same ole, same ole routine. I'm not gonna lie."

There was no telling what Rude thought, since his eyes were always behind his shades. "You still sound indifferent, Reno. We both know that that wasn't the case."

Reno sighed with a small groan. "You're not gettin' sappy on me, are you?"

"No…But, I do recognize genuine happiness when I see it."

This was quickly turning into a conversation that could easily be mistaken for one between two women. The redhead tried to prevent himself from squirming on his couch. Again, with the emotions thing. Sure, having them proved that he was human, but he was in an inhuman profession. Besides, he was adamant about not falling in love, not establishing any roots by having a whole lot of connections. The less burdens he had to carry, the better off he was. A conscience was something he didn't want to develop.

Automatically changing the subject, he asked in a very light-hearted tone, "So, where were you sitting at back at the restaurant anyway?"

"Corner opposite you, near some of the potted plants."

"Ahhh." Reno nodded. "Good spot. Wouldn't have guessed."

Yet, he wasn't as stupid as he looked or in the way he preferred people to think of him. He'd had a funny feeling all night like he'd been watched. Turks could get eyes in the backs of their heads, so to speak, after a while in the business. He felt strangely proud of Rude for that bit of (though unnecessary) espionage.

Rude's lips quirked downward. "This Serafina Ashcroft…You like her."

Whoa, whoa, whoa! It was one thing for them to gossip about who liked who among the Turks, Rude included. But, when that type of talk had to consist of who _Reno _liked, then it seriously crossed the line.

It was enough to coerce him to sit up from his lazy resting position. "Where the hell is this headed, Rude? I mean, yeah, I know I mentioned her to you a while back. But, why spy on us anyway? Did the boss-man tell you to do it?"

"Actually, no"—Reno bit back a frustrated groan at this calm response—"But, I think I spied on you out of the same motivations that drove you to spy on me all those years ago. There's no need for you to be hypocritical."

Was that a tiny hint of resentment in Rude's voice? Or…No, the guy wasn't the type to hold a grudge. He had actually made the accusation of Reno's hypocrisy in a matter-of-fact tone. The time he'd spied on Rude, though, had been a totally different scenario. That had been for curiosity, not work, not a component of a much bigger case. What Reno was doing was much more important…

At that moment, the almost-kiss flashed in his mind, a glaring reminder of what nearly happened because of their chemistry. Those sparks weren't forced but so natural. When she had leaned toward him intimately, he had placed his hands on her waist on impulse. He had been completely uninhibited, ready for her lips on his. Damn. The temptation was almost too much.

Reno shook his head furiously. "She's not a part of AVALANCHE. It's not like that. That date was just…She's nothing like Chelsea."

Outwardly, Rude didn't seem to react other than imperceptibly lowered shoulders and a tilt of his head. "In personality, perhaps. However, Ashcroft does have ties to them. She is particularly close with Tifa."

"And you would know." With a scoffing snort, Reno settled back down, though didn't intend to offend his partner. "Speaking of which, you still like Tifa?"

"Of course. But…um…I am aware that she doesn't reciprocate my feelings."

Interestingly enough, Rude had to cough just then.

"Whatever. There's no point to what we're talking about." The redhead rolled his eyes dismissively.

Actually, maybe there was. And maybe it was a lesson in the life of a Turk, one that had to be reinforced at all times. So, it was more of an unspoken rule than anything: not to give your heart away to the opposition. No wearing it on your sleeve, no sympathizing…None of that. The last time this happened, Rude fell for a woman named Chelsea aka AVALANCHE's first big cheese.

And look how that turned out.

Not only had Reno kept an eye on the two of them out of professional reasons (for example, Chelsea potentially leaking intel), but he had been truly concerned over his friend getting hurt. After all, Rude was the only one remotely deserving enough for him to confide in. That was why he refused to keep secrets from him, even doozies like this current venture.

In so many ways, Rude kept him grounded in spite of their dirty jobs devoid of any guilt or remorse.

Ultimately, they were a brotherhood who had no one but each other. As for Chelsea, she'd decided to bail on Rude without saying goodbye like the cold-hearted bitch she was. Reno hadn't known her very well, but he knew she didn't have the privilege to be forgiven for that. This was why they didn't have time for women, those lying heartbreakers.

However, in comparison to the cool, reserved brunette (whose date with Rude was probably the most single-handedly boring thing he'd had to witness), Serafin was considerably more dynamic. Her energy knew no limits in terms of engaging in conversation with him. She would be almost too honest in her opinions of him, but that meant she was blunt. Most of all, she wore her heart on her sleeve despite her many desperate attempts on her part to appear the contrary. Like him, she was a restless spirit. Unlike him, she had the capacity to care for others by showing that aspect in subtle ways. When she was in a good mood, she was quick with a joke and a tantalizing smile.

All in all, if Sera had anything to hide, it didn't matter. That fire to her, that relentless determination, kept her going strong. She, outwardly at least, didn't allow the obstacles to hamper her or break her down. Reno wasn't wont to utilize much metaphor, but again, he thought of the firecracker.

All of these internal glimpses of her in his mind must have shown on his face because Rude cleared his throat. That brought him back to full attention, the image of her dissipating.

"I do have a point to this, actually." Rude spoke quite gravely, so much so that Reno couldn't help but recall how much taller this man was than him. "It's this. I was seeing the side of you that…that, if I'm guessing correctly, you show to me and very few others, if any. You looked to me like you were this ordinary couple going on a date instead of two stubborn people butting heads. All I'm curious about is…Are you starting to fall in love with her?"

_Goddammit, Rude, _Reno thought, knowing full well the weight this loaded question bore.

Why did this matter? He didn't do romance. As a self-professed cynic, he had seen the brutal ugliness this world had to offer. He killed quite a bit of it for a living, purging Gaia of those who would do nothing but serve as pests to Shinra and everyone else. Essentially, he was an exterminator, and man, was he good at it!

Of course, then there was her laugh, her eyes, her intelligence, and so much more to contend with. Gorgeous features he couldn't help but be attracted to.

He started rubbing the bridge of his nose. "…I don't know."

"I'm giving you cautionary notice," Rude said neutrally enough, yet the softness crept in. "Given our jobs and AVALANCHE's tendency to use people, you know I'm looking out for you."

"Yeah, thanks, Dad." Reno smirked along with letting out a half-snarky, half-helpless chuckle. "I can protect myself. What the hell kind of Turk would I be if I couldn't, right? 'Specially from women. If that's all this is about, I'd say it's no big deal"—for a moment, he sobered upon Rude's raised eyebrow—"Honest. You don't have to worry over me. And this is enough male bonding for one night. I s'pose any longer, and I'll start getting out the tissues."

"Hm. Very well then," Rude complied with another respectful nod Reno's direction before standing more upright and walking towards the door. Instinctually, he had the wits about him to know when to drop a discussion before the dead chocobo was beat any more.

Shortly before completely vacating the apartment, he poked his head back in, the reflected moonlight shining on his shades. "However, just so you know, I believe that she might be good for you."

Ever the skeptic, Reno just shook his head at this observation, though the beginnings of a smile emerged on his face. He hoped that he wasn't starting to turn into a sap, or else it could very well interfere with his job. Maybe not. He'd done it enough years to the extent that not much could sway him.

Yet, there surely had to be some grain of truth to what Rude pointed out.

He hadn't had this much untainted fun since…Well, it was too long ago, and he would have to try to reach back into the furthest recesses of his memory. He could hardly deny that she was beautiful and down-to-earth and real.

Almost absentmindedly, he rubbed the butt of his cigarette in the nearby ash tray. The half-smile never quite left his face as he eventually dozed off.

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><p>As soon as she saw those intensely searching teal eyes meeting hers, Sera finally shut the door, satisfied with practically each and every detail of what had happened tonight. So, was this what being out with a friend felt like? Well, a guy friend at any rate…Not a boyfriend, though, she wouldn't kid herself.<p>

She leaned against the door, exhaling the breath she hadn't realized she was holding in, when Grandma came out of the kitchen with a hot cup of tea. Noting that her granddaughter had returned home, she smiled warmly.

"And how was your evening, Serafina?"

Oh, where to start? Sera wasn't even sure if she could do the evening justice through her words. She could feel her fingers trembling but not from dread. Whatever this was seeped through her like rain through dirt, soaking what was beneath. Inside, there was a plethora of emotions, though the primary one that stuck out was bliss. Never had she thought she would be this way over a date with Reno—actually, a Turk in general. What was he doing to her?

Halfway in her reverie, she dreamily smiled back. "It was actually…I had a really, really good time. I was kind of surprised."

Grandma nodded knowingly. "Ah, I see. Romantic fellow, is he?"

"Hm, I don't know," Sera replied over her shoulder, starting to climb up the stairs. "He's too much in the real world for that. After tonight, though, I think he has the potential to be romantic. Can't say for sure."

"Did he kiss you?"

She laughed embarrassedly, hurrying up the stairs. "Grandma, please! The day Reno does that, the world would be ending."

Grandmother Rosemary chuckled to herself once she was certain that Sera was out of ear-shot. She took a sip of her green tea, eternally young eyes twinkling. Ah, she remembered when she had fallen in love with Sera's grandfather Eliot.

And judging by what she saw out the window, she could tell that her granddaughter was on the verge of doing the same.

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><p><strong>AN: I will say that the Reno/Rude conversation was inspired by two things. One, an instance in FF7 when they are gossiping about who the Turks like, and if I remember correctly, Reno jabs at Rude with a mention of Tifa. Just thought it'd be interesting that now that Reno's on the other side of the fence, how he'd feel about being the object of that kind of gossip. Safe to say, he's kind of pissed off about it.**

**The other thing that inspired this was something I actually stumbled upon in the FF7 Wikia pages. Which is that, yes, Rude did go out with someone from AVALANCHE named Chelsea in Before Crisis. And Reno spied on one of their dates. Naturally, I couldn't pass this opportunity up. I think it's good payback for Rude, to do the same to Reno. And by the way, this was a different faction of AVALANCHE I'm talking about, one that existed before Barrett's. Very interesting stuff I found in those FF7 Wikia pages, uh-huh. XD**

**Sorry to have kept you guys waiting again, but I hope it was worth it.**


	13. Storm Clouds Brewing

**A/N: All right, so this chapter is going to lead up to something epic next chapter. Which, I'm getting excited for, because it doesn't involve dates. Well, whatever, you'll know what I mean by the end of this chapter here.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 12: Storm Clouds Brewing<strong>

_Sera sat tranquilly at the bar alongside Tifa's group, adding her two gil in whenever there was an opening in the conversation. Truthfully, she knew she could never be one of AVALANCHE. All of them were good people, kind to her, and she would remain grateful for their friendship. What stopped her and most of from being overtly chummy was that those people had shared the same experiences. They had dealt with so much on their journey, including the loss of an irreplaceable party member that it was akin to a war. They were veterans, witnesses privy to horrific events, yet that was where they bonded. For her to try forcing her way in would be an insult to what they'd accomplished together._

_With that in mind, she sipped at her glass of wine she'd been protectively nursing, almost discouraged. It would be nice to be a part of something. Even through traumatic times, she would have kept hope as long as she had friends who faced them with her. In reality, that wasn't the case. She'd been through hell and back all right but was the sole survivor. All the weight sat precariously on her shoulders._

"_Thanks, Tifa." Sera slapped the necessary amount of gil on the counter. "I'll be seeing you."_

"_Sera…Is something wrong?"_

_Hm, Tifa, probably her only friend. So concerned, so nurturing…It was weird that they could still be close, given how far apart their paths had diverged._

_Sera wore a brittle smile. "Nah, I'm fine, Teef."_

_As soon as she walked out the door, she saw Reno standing there. He mustered up a smirk for her before carelessly discarding his cigarette. It appeared that he attempted to act as coolly and calmly as possible. Other guys would be trying too hard. But, Sera could honestly say it wasn't as if she didn't approve of how Reno wore his self-assurance, as bloated as it was. She smiled back, halfway self-deprecatingly in the knowledge that she found this sexy about him._

_The subsequent events sped through in a blur, as though time had decided to fast forward. Before she could immediately process what was going on, he led her to a back alley. Pulling her face toward his, he started making out with her. Never had she rode such an exhilarating high of passion before. And she loved every second of it._

_She returned his aggressive kisses, providing him with her lips and tongue. Then, without thinking (like this was second nature to her), she wrapped her legs around his waist. Oh, she'd known she craved him, and it felt like euphoria to be pressed up this close against him. She was unbuttoning his shirt…_

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><p>Sera woke up with a startled shudder, in a feverish sweat that turned cold upon her waking. Clenching her hands in the sheets until she was white-knuckled, she assessed her surroundings. It was very early morning in her bedroom. The weak sunlight was just beginning to filter through her dirty window.<p>

Next, her sense of reality was restored. The last time she checked, she hadn't run into Reno that much since their date a week and a day ago. And when she had, he had usually met up with her at her work for a few minutes. She wasn't openly hostile like she had been to him, not remotely. Rather, they'd teased and prodded each other, with her in brighter spirits over the banter.

Nonetheless, it didn't ease her chagrin over the fact that she'd had a sex dream involving him. Raging hormones were obviously to blame. It was human nature to experience these types of sensual dreams and all that. At the same time, she could assure herself that it was normal, but she knew it wasn't, not for her.

Anxiously, Sera glanced at her clock, heart persistently pounding. So, he'd indirectly woken her up at five o' clock in the morning and for what? Had that dream been that incredibly awkward that she had chosen to take herself out of it?

Well, she could answer for herself, yeah, considering no words had been exchanged. This was entirely lust-fueled. She'd opted to forget conversation and by trading it for trying to have sex with him.

Lying back down on her bed with a sigh and a wince, Sera wondered where she had misplaced her sanity. She and Reno got along nowadays; that much was true. But, this…seriously pushed it.

Then again, he did possess some attractive qualities underneath all those vices. He could be amiable sometimes, bordering on kind yet never thoroughly soft-hearted. Maybe he secretly was, and she just didn't know that about him. And some of his jokes could actually be funny when he put forth effort. Not to mention he could be fairly easygoing, an impossible feat for a redhead. He had passion when he did get a temper, however, but only if something triggered it.

She could feel hear heart trying to beat its way out of her chest now, though like at the end of that date night, it wasn't out of panic. Heat rushed to her cheeks upon reflecting on his appearance. Sculpted, almost feminine features, and yet a totally masculine face—he was handsome but not in a rugged, conventional sense. Given his job, he obviously kept himself fit, what with the toned muscles that rippled underneath his clothes. Now that she thought about it, Reno also had these very long legs. And of course those mesmerizing eyes, the ones that she couldn't quite look away from.

"Just a dream," Sera muttered unconvincingly to himself.

Oh, it definitely was, but she considered the implications of it very meticulously. That led her to the conclusion that she wanted to kiss him and that her desire, her longing and aching for him, ran deeper than she had hitherto realized. If Reno came up to her today and proceeded to kiss her senselessly without so much as a word, she was slightly afraid that she wouldn't stop him. Despite his arrogance and his job and his smoking—all of these vices—Sera had stayed friends with him for these two years, and she refused to give up that connection. There was something between them that she could no longer ignore or deny.

Shifting around on her bed, Sera focused on going back to sleep but with little success. She tossed and turned, but her thoughts of the Turk were too strong. Every time she closed her eyes, she could imagine him pressing her against the wall of the 7th Heaven building, his hot mouth on hers. That image had been engraved in her mind, and she doubted it would leave any time soon.

Resignedly, she got out of bed at six, weary yet inexplicably happy.

As it was Sunday, Sera had the day off due to Mrs. Liran's leniency and her tendency to want to give herself a day off at some point in the weekend. However, she soon regretted letting thoughts of Reno keep her wide awake. Sunday was just another chore day at home…admittedly, this time, of her own volition.

This could have been symbolic of her wanting to purge herself of the faded memory of her dream, but she'd had a strong desire to clean. All morning had been spent dusting bookshelves, washing dishes and clothes, and fixing breakfast for herself and Grandma. She briefly noted that her grandmother looked askance at her, as though pondering the underlying reason why so much housework was getting done. Especially towards the beginning of the day rather than later because of Sera's procrastination.

Hm, she could ask herself the same thing. On her day off, she was normally still asleep, not inclined at all to work. Ultimately, Grandma had inquired as to why Sera wasn't hanging out with friends instead. How long had it been since she'd last seen Tifa?

And, taking the hint, she had hopped on her motorcycle to pay her friend a visit.

Currently, she and the bartender were trading work stories, since that was basically all they could talk about anyway. It was the perfect way for Sera to divert her attention away from the date. Though it had been fantastic, a night to remember for years and years afterward, she had been reticent about the details. It had been special and meant so much to her that she considered keeping it private. Also, telling the story would only confirm that there was that slim chance she had become infatuated, maybe always had been. Her dream continued haunting her, with so much lust involved.

Inevitably, after Tifa finished her story of how Cloud had had to step in the other night to break up a brawl, the subject changed and right to the one Sera remained uncertain of.

"So, you've never told me how that date went." Her dark eyes tinged with mahogany gleamed.

Sera rolled her eyes. "Oh, that. I thought you weren't the type of woman to care about stuff like that, Tifa."

"Well…," she trailed off before taking the time to heave a bar stool over the counter and promptly took a seat. "I'm all ears. Besides, Sera, we've known each other since we were five. You've got nothing to hide from me."

"Wanna bet?" Sera quipped, her hand instinctively gripping the sling at her back. Not that this was a life or death situation, but she'd had a weird premonition since her cleaning frenzy. Better safe than sorry to carry Gemini around, but she always did anyway. There was just something off about her life now in general, and she couldn't quite put her finger on it. Reno had a lot to do with it but not all.

In spite of that imposing gesture of reaching toward the blades, Tifa looked relatively unfazed. If anything, she leaned further, her arms folded on the counter as if she expected a full retelling.

Seeing that there was no other option but to appease her friend, Sera decided to cave in. "OK, OK, fine. But, I'm telling you there's not much to tell. We had a nice time out, he was actually behaving himself, and I went home happy"—she then perked up cheerfully, now that that hard part was over—"The end."

But, Tifa got a specific glint in her eye, the one that she got when she felt compelled to be mischievous. "You're not getting off that easy. You're leaving out details, I know it. I can read you better than you think."

Sera deflated. "Whyyy? Why do you want to know so badly? Look, I don't ask about you and Cloud. Worst kept secret in this bar."

"Oh shut up." The proud brunette rolled her eyes, lazily pushing a neglected rag off to the side towards her.

This lack of embarrassment didn't surprise Sera. After all, Tifa wasn't really the blushing type. And secondly, well, she'd stopped being humiliated the first hundred times of being teased about her thinly veiled relationship with Cloud. Still, Sera totally found it hypocritical of her to expect so much information about herself and Reno. That wasn't developed into anything resembling romantic at all.

As to whether or not she wished to keep it that way, however…

"You want details. I'll give you details. So, he picks me up in that car and then we go to this very nice restaurant. And I mean very chez. We had quite a bit of…"

The door opened just then and in walked Marlene and Denzel, who was now living with the former and her adoptive father Barret. Ah, the kids saved Sera from progressing further into her tale. Which was why she might have grinned a little wider than usual, almost to a creepy extent. As much as she liked these two already, she couldn't help but like them even more for their intrusion.

"Hey, guys," she greeted with a smile and wave, narrowly avoiding calling them kids, considering Denzel highly objected to that. "How's it going?"

"Oh, hey, Sera," Marlene said rather shyly, since they didn't know each other much beyond first name basis. "I'm doing good."

"It's going," Denzel answered much more bluntly.

Sera's grin froze. She hated when people said that, no matter who did it. It was so vague and apathetic…not to mention something Reno used to stay to her in response to her "hello"'s. It got old after a while that now she just let him fire at will when he walked up to her, him being the epitome of nonchalance.

Hm, well, preteens, what were you going to do?

The young boy in question sat down on the stool next to hers, with Marlene taking her seat next to him. She was growing taller, Sera observed, those chubby little legs longer than they used to be. She smiled at that, aware that before she would know it, years would pass, and these kids would become adults. Scary, how time flew by sometimes and yet rewarding to see children grow up. It was an experience they all deserved to have, something that gave Sera hope that the world wasn't quite that desolate. As long as there were smiles and laughter from the young ones, everything would work out.

"So," Denzel murmured, appearing to try keeping his cool around Tifa. "What were you two talking about?"

Sera's previously mawkish reflections began to sour.

This was made worse when Tifa winked her direction. "Sera here might have herself a boyfriend."

"A boyfriend?" Marlene practically lit up, looking at Sera with an anticipating giddy grin. "Awww! That's sweet!"

Shit! Yeah, her sentimental attitude had totally blown up in her face now. Though this didn't diminish her high regard of children overall, she couldn't help but realize that now her audience had grown to three. Karma must have struck back at her for not spilling all the details to Tifa when she had the chance.

"What's his name?" Denzel asked, revealing more of a taunting smirk.

Sera proceeded to hide her face in her crossed arms. "Unf, mmmm…"

"Sorry, didn't hear that," Tifa goaded, more for the kids' benefit than hers, though that could be debatable.

Three against one! It looked like she lost this battle. When she peeked up at them, she noticed all of them smiling, waiting. She couldn't take the agony of those expressions any more.

"It's Reno," she confessed quickly.

Denzel wrinkled his nose. "You mean that weird redheaded guy? The scrawny one?"

"But, he's not my boyfriend! He's just someone who poked and prodded me enough times so I would agree to go to dinner with him. That's it, nothing more! You people are expecting _way _too much out of me."

Marlene chimed in, sing-song, "I think you like him."

That much had been established in her personal thoughts, true. She liked talking with Reno, even if he could be a scrawny, cocky jerk of a redhead. Beyond tenuous friendship, beyond tolerance, though, she couldn't say for sure. Funny, how it all seemed to come back to him lately. The casual conversations and the sex dreams and…

Sera felt like her face had been set on fire. "As a sort of… frenemy, I guess. Yeah. In that way only, though, I haven't kissed him or anything."

There, that should clear that up.

Nonetheless, Denzel muttered, "Yet," and she had to begrudgingly agree with him on that one. She had been dangerously close to kissing Reno, the impulse being more difficult to fight than she thought. His warm breath on her lips, hands supporting her waist, and they'd leaned into each other simultaneously. Maybe she could reveal some of the date's details without giving too much away: the dinner, the jokes, and the dancing. Talking about these wouldn't be off-limits in her opinion, fairly harmless. But, if they (particularly Tifa) pushed her to mention that intimate moment, she would be mum. That was the one thing that confused her most in regards to her feelings. He had looked so alluring, yet at the same time, she knew she'd had to pull away.

It was like standing on the very edge of a cliff, waiting to fall.

Luckily, for Sera, she didn't have to elaborate further as Tifa said somehow reassuringly, "OK, that's good enough for me. I suppose you've suffered enough."

The kids laughed at this, but Sera found that she didn't mind being the butt of this joke, as long as it didn't overstay its welcome. She was just happy about not divulging any more of her story. It had concerned the two of them, after all, and nobody else.

"Good." Sera rolled her eyes more playfully. "But, don't be surprised if I ask how things with Cloud are."

"Um, hey…I think it's darker outside than it was." Marlene pointed out the window, which had, until a moment ago, let in some sun.

As it was, the sunlight hadn't been in abundance today due to clouds obscuring it for the most part. It had also rained the past few days, but it wasn't like there was cause for concern. Then again, it did look similar to the day when Bahamut SIN attacked. That was surely just coincidence. Although the climate of Midgar and Edge was predominantly dry, it wasn't that uncommon a sight to see some showers. In fact, ever since the Geostigma outbreak had ended, there had been more rain to the region. It could only get greener, and really, was that such a bad thing? This area hadn't seen any hope for that kind of improvement in years. When it did rain any more, Sera found she liked it.

When she looked out the front window with discerning eyes, however, she didn't much like what she saw. Indeed, a small ball of worry started forming in her stomach. From here, she could just see the tops of the wrecked buildings of Midgar, approximately where that infamous plate once stood. What was more visible than the hazy city that lay a few miles away was an eerie cloud formation swirling. It was no puffy white cloud or even gray ominous storm cloud. This was more foreboding, black with a sickening green tint around the edges.

Sera had seen a cloud like this once before. The scant relief she could take from this current situation was that she had Gemini strapped securely on her back.

"I gotta go, guys," she announced, walking briskly toward the door. "This is going to be bad."

Tifa's eyebrows knit together in anxiety. "What is it?" Then, that troubled look on her face intensified. "Wait a minute…It's not—"

"I'm afraid it is. Look, all of you should be OK. I'll veer it off course for you."

"Tifa, what's she—?" Marlene was about to ask, but the question proved to be in vain.

Sera had run out to the parking lot, spent a few fleeting seconds putting on her helmet, and sped on her way back to Midgar. This left Tifa, Marlene, and Denzel befuddled yet almost painfully aware of what was going on. They could only glance at each other helplessly, desperately hoping that whatever was coming didn't get to them this time. Or, more importantly, to everyone else in Edge.

Tifa put one hand on Marlene's shoulder and the other on Denzel's. "It's going to be all right, don't worry. Sera can deal with this."

And she could. She'd had to before, and Tifa knew she could rely on her friend to prevent massive, deadly destruction from occurring. It would probably come at a price again, sure, but if there was one extraordinary thing Sera was good at, it was saving lives.

No matter what many Midgarians thought otherwise.

* * *

><p>Although this happened to be their day off (Sunday being such a somber day, after all, if one believed in such things), Reno and Rude idly patrolled the streets of Edge. When it came to being a Turk, Reno actually took his job quite seriously to the extent that he'd do it after hours. Besides, it wasn't like him and Rude had much else to do. It was also the perfect opportunity to twirl his EMR around, warning some of the more hot-headed citizens to play nice. There was this power he wielded, and he tended to take advantage of it whenever possible.<p>

"Man, this is boring," he complained, dissatisfied with the lack of activity. "It's like when we do have days off, there's really nothing to do."

"That's because we're not normal," Rude pointed out.

"True. Still…This place is completely _dead _today."

Suddenly, the PHS in Reno's pocket went off.

Apathetically, he took out the cellphone and answered the call just as dully, "Yeah?"

"Reno," Tseng's stern, quiet voice addressed on the other end. "There's radar back at headquarters indicating suspicious activity in Midgar. We think there is a monster approaching, similar to the one that attacked Edge recently. We need you and Rude to go over there and defuse the situation."

"Ahhh, situation defusin', you say? OK, we're on it, yo."

Reno hung up, his teal eyes considerably brighter than they had been a moment ago. His wish had been granted. Finally, there was going to be some action today! Granted, he had as yet to come up with a decent strategy for them to hold off the monster or evacuate people, but he could think on his feet well. He was sure to find a way to defeat this bad boy.

He started sprinting back toward the car with Rude quick on his heels.

"Hurry up, Rude!" the redhead yelled over his shoulder in between breaths. "We got business to take care of today. And it's gonna be big!"

Rude could only pant in response, inwardly thinking that Reno might have been slightly too enthusiastic about this job, whatever it was. If it was going to be big, that would mean a mess to clean up later. To be honest, he didn't exactly look forward to that. At least it would be the high point of the day. He strenuously tried keeping up with Reno, who was very light-footed and swift in spite of their height difference. Or perhaps because of their height difference, he could see that as a possibility, too.

Once they approached the parked car that had been two blocks away from them (not too far then at least), Reno jumped right in the front passenger seat, leaving Rude to do the honors of taking them to Midgar. As the tall, dark-skinned man turned the key in the ignition, his partner couldn't help but smirk haughtily in response. It was good to be second-in-command among the Turks. Because of his position, he typically had the most high-profile, flashiest jobs at his disposal. He would never take that for granted.

Excited, he felt the blood pump through his veins, and he leaned back in the seat, beyond pleased. He lived for this feeling, this adrenaline rush. Yes, today was going to be a hell of a day, he just knew it.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Yeah, I know I spent quite a bit of the chapter talking about Sera's feelings more on the date and Reno, but it's for the sake of continuity. She normally doesn't have intense feelings like that, so it's only fair I have her questioning them. And of course as her friend in this story, Tifa would want to know details, though not to the extent average girls would. Just considering they're both strong women, I feel they're above gossiping.**

**And anyway, the monster about to appear toward the end...Well, now, there's going to be some action. If I can write good fight scenes. I'm sure I can.**


	14. Crescendo

**A/N: OK, get ready for a fairly large chapter. This gets dramatic.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 13: Crescendo<strong>

_Not again._

This was Sera's initial thought as she drew nearer to Midgar, maintaining her steadfast grip on the handlebars. Through the clear visor of her helmet, she noted that behemoth-sized legs descended toward the old plate site. It was almost as if these creatures knew where lives had been lost, including those of Jessie, Biggs, and Wedge of AVALANCHE. They either had a sick sense of humor or aimed to kill dozens more before the day was through.

She snarled as she put more pressure on the accelerator, although she already raced at breakneck speeds. The sooner she faced it down, the less likely it would want to set its sights on Edge. And there was no way she would allow her friends to come into direct contact with the evil thing.

For some odd reason she'd never quite managed to figure out, Sera was the only one to be able to remotely take on monsters of this scale. One of her past theories was maybe she had some mako in her bloodstream, but that couldn't be it. For one, if she'd had that substance infused in her body, she would have had the mako blue eyes that Cloud had. However, she recalled discovering from Tifa that Vincent Valentine had mako in his system, too. Wasn't that the case? And his crimson (not radioactive blue) eyes matched his cape.

All she knew was that she had this potentially devastating power locked inside her, yet she could always control it. Right now, she felt it pulsing in her veins as she prepared to strike this formidable foe. That was the only time she could acutely feel that energy. The last time a monster had paid an unwelcome visit, she'd beaten it and then she'd felt a bizarre tingling sensation in her fingers. Most likely, that instance had been the remnants of her exhausted power. Like a battery, she'd had to recharge. That probably explained the six hours of sleep she'd had the minute she had returned home that day.

Yes, so much pent-up power, eager to be released, currently. Sera narrowed her eyes in determination. She was ready for this beast. And if the citizens of Midgar couldn't respect her valiant efforts, then that was just too bad, wasn't it? She had very little patience or sympathy left for them.

No one ventured near the collapsed plate site these days. It practically verged on the outskirts of town, so it wasn't like it had any neighboring businesses that Midgarians could flock to. The more understandable reason was that people tended to purposely avoid the place, repulsed by its catastrophic history. More or less, it served as a graveyard for those killed that day. No one wanted to remember, as it was morbid, and the general consensus held the belief that the entirety of Sector 7 must be cursed.

Sera personally never bothered with the site, since this brought up old wounds, primarily that Reno had been essentially responsible for blowing it to bits. Even now, she still wondered if keeping that tie with him was for the best. But, part of her knew that that incident was the closest thing to regret he'd ever troubled himself with.

And her lecture probably undid him, briefly. It had taken someone to point out the gravity of the situation to him for him to feel the slightest shred of remorse. Yes, it was true thousands had died in fear and pain. But, if she didn't fend off this monster, nobody would be surviving in Midgar because they didn't have the necessary skills. They would be too frightened of another incident that would lead to more fatalities, so hopeless were they in fighting for their lives. Most of the time, they were too jaded to care, to regard any human life as valuable.

Fortunately, no one would bear witness to her battle with the monster, since there was no one presently about on this abandoned site. Just as well, especially when she took into account that she'd had to chase out that horde of ugly, bug-eyed creatures in the city square the time before. Needless to say, her reputation hadn't improved by causing the subsequent stir.

The beast's thick legs approached the ground, compelling Sera to slowly back away in case those rounded flat feet should land on her. It proved to be enough time for her to stretch her limbs in preparation for the aches that were sure to come later. Her tendons had become quite flexible over all those months in the gym. She was also thankful that her outfit was suitable for physical fighting: loose black pants that she could freely move around in and a sleeveless green shirt. Coincidentally, before finding out she would have to fight, she'd planned on going to the gym for her daily work-out later.

Finally, as the monster was just feet away from the ground, she whipped out her twin blades from her sling. She raised them toward the accursed thing, brashly looking it in the eye as she showed this gesture of defiance. It could try to break this city and its people further, but it would have to get through her first.

Once the monster landed, dust rippled around it like water did after a stone was thrown in a lake. Additionally, the earth shook, and Sera almost fell down from the force. She acknowledged that this would be a tough opponent, which was why she closed her eyes to summon all her energy. It was almost like meditating, only she would hear this buzzing in her ears. This was her method of gathering her strength, and once she did, she would release her power. Her feet hovered just above the ground, but she had no idea she had that capability.

Then, she opened her eyes, glaring darkly at the monster.

It had thick brown leathery skin with those hardened legs, yet it had the tail and head of something more reptilian. Its tail was striped with black and thumped on the ground to indicate impatience. As for its head, what stood out the most were its cold blue eyes. Likely as not, it had emerged from the depths of mako liquid somehow or other. Whatever it was, not only was it hideous but gigantic in stature, as many lab experiments from the old Shinra days must have been.

"Ah, so one of you decided to show up today," Sera idly conversed with the thing, biding some time to calm her nerves. "How nice. What's the game plan? For me to kill you yet make me look bad in front of everyone again?!"

The monster tilted back its head and roared, which was an odd sound to come from a lizard's mouth. It stamped one foot in response, charging toward her after its declaration of war.

Unbeknownst to her, Sera's amber eyes glowed eerily to the point they looked nearly gold rather than their natural color. The pupils distorted into feline slits.

"Go back to hell, you son of a bitch!" she challenged, lifting Gemini again.

Her power was soon released, and suddenly, she sprinted toward the lizard hybrid to slash its leg. Though this move would have seemed foolish to many, this was meant to weaken the animal in whatever way she could. The monster emitted a surprised, injured growl, immediately bending down. Black blood oozed from its knee on its right front leg. In the meantime, Sera ran at an inhuman speed under the monster while it was thus distracted and slashed upward. She didn't do as much damage as she'd hoped, but she still managed a cut on its soft belly.

Maybe this wouldn't be so hard, after all. Sera smirked.

Dodging a backward kick, she rolled out from under it, eyes trained on what she dubbed Leather Lizard to gauge its next move. A costly mistake on her part, as it proceeded to drag its tail around to hit her.

She was hurled back a few feet, landing painfully on her back. Well, what was a proper battle without a few wounds here and there? However, even with this in mind, she still wasn't happy. On the contrary, she was livid that this brute should knock her around like a rag doll. Did it not realize that she had all this power, more than the average human? That was why she was an outcast. These people weren't condescending toward her out of prejudice but petty jealousy. A vindictive voice in her head told her she could rule them all if she wanted to.

Opening her mouth and tossing back her head, Sera let out a savage scream that was enough to disturb nearby wreckage. From anger and borderline hatred, she derived her strength. It was made more severe when she observed that the monster started to make its way toward other parts of the city.

"Oh no, you DON'T!" she shouted, making a running start before leaping toward her target, the monster's back.

To her astonishment, she'd actually completed the jump successfully. Then again, she couldn't see the glow of pure gold light energy that surrounded her. She lit up like a fire in a very literal sense.

No way was she her normal self but a more intense, chaotic form.

Before she could think any more, Sera plunged her knives into Leather Lizard's back. The growl it had made when hurt in the leg paled in comparison to the excruciatingly loud roar it created now. It was enough to reverberate throughout the whole site.

Good thing that there were no standing buildings to destroy due to this blast.

In a desperate attempt to throw off its assailant, the monster shook its head back and forth quite vigorously. Sera held on by the hilts of her knives as they slid in deeper and deeper into its back side.

As stupidly as the monster had previously acted, it chose to do a smart thing for once by lifting its forelegs. It tried to buck her off, but she refused to budge. Her biceps strained from the effort of persistently clinging, muscles bulging.

She couldn't let go. There was no way she would now, as near to victory as she was. The monster bled profusely, judging from the acrid smell that filled her nostrils, distinctly unlike the coppery scent of human blood. It was only a matter of time before Leather Lizard collapsed.

Running out of options, Sera resolved to take a daring risk by vaulting up from its back. With no idea how she would come back down, she went with an option that might have killed her. However, once she was up in the air, that arrogant voice from before suggested that she throw herself at it with all her might. Perhaps then, she would be like an arrow flying straight and true to its target. What was strange about all this was that she somehow maintained balance fifty feet in the air when she should have fallen.

It made little difference to her. She merely saw this as convenient before she rushed toward the monster's side, where she struck so hard that the monster wobbled as though drunk. Taking full advantage of the opportunity this presented, she thrust one knife into the leathery flesh. She made sure to slightly twist the hilt, providing that much more agony to it. Yet, her face remained expressionless from a startling lack of shame.

The thing would have thoroughly destroyed Midgar: therefore, it deserved to die, as far as she saw it.

_That should do it_, Sera assumed as she withdrew the knife and fell toward the ground less than gracefully. She noticed that coordination seemed to bend in her favor more when she was in the air. Wincing, she rubbed at the bruise that was already forming on her shoulder, but that would pass. Hopefully, Leather Lizard wouldn't be so lucky with its injuries.

Indeed, it wasn't, as it struggled to take even simple steps. The gruesome black blood gushed down its side, its belly, and its back, where the deepest cuts had been made. Its tail wasn't moving as animatedly either but swaying lazily back and forth. Its blue eyes gradually glazed over, death claiming this monster little by little.

Who knew if it had given its all in battle or not? All she knew was that it would return to the Lifestream sooner rather than later. This fight had ended far more quickly than she had predicted. That presumption was made more final when the monster crumpled to its knees, dissolving piece by piece.

Sera mercilessly smirked, basking in her triumph. This had been the largest beast she had ever defeated. Surely, by now, these cretins would get the message that she was no idle threat. As long as she was around, Midgar remained mostly safe.

Abruptly, she heard fierce whispers and murmurs once her power drained away, and she became aware of her surroundings again.

"Freak."

"Demon."

"Witch."

No…Not again! After all she'd done for them, too! These ingrates would never learn, would they? They should be chanting her name and piling her with heaps of praise. Instead, she received the same icy reception she'd always had.

It was as though _she _was the monster, not the one she'd just killed.

Reluctant to turn around, Sera did so anyway to meet the accusatory glances of roughly sixty or seventy people. They were probably here to lambast her, to claim she was a villain.

She didn't know how long they'd been spectators to this fight nor did she care. All she could do, in spite of her growing weariness, was to put a brave face on the situation. Silently putting her knives away, she then straightened herself up, ignoring how messy she looked, and assumed a confident pose.

"Would a witch destroy one of her creations?" she addressed the crowd, her voice loud and ringing with every word. "That's what you think I do, isn't it? Witchcraft? Well, you're wrong! I've protected this city every time they've preyed upon it."

A woman replied shrilly, "Well, we didn't used to have that problem before _you _came and ruined everything!"

Many coinciding shouts followed this remark. Nonetheless, Sera stood her ground, not once faltering in her proud demeanor. She couldn't appear vulnerable before these idiots. They knew nothing of the morals and values she held dear.

Once the crowd's indignation somewhat subsided, Sera said coolly, "I assure you that it's only coincidence. Even if they are after me, I still kill them. This has only been the second time it's happened anyway. I'd say that's a good track rec—"

"You're still dangerous!" a gruff man in the front shouted. "You were doing all sorts of odd things like flyin' and jumpin' like no human should. You're unnatural! And that's why we're here to drive you out."

_No…They can't…_

Sera lost her temper right then and there.

She cried out, "Oh yeah?! I'd like to see you try, asshole! If you think you're up to the task, by all means, get on with it!"

If she could have taken a glance at herself in the mirror, she would have seen a deranged sight. Needless to say, she was a total and utter mess. Grime, sweat, and some of the monster's blood stuck to her clothes. Her hair was frazzled in its ponytail. And she started shaking, anticipating the worst from these people so willing to cry "witch" at a moment's notice. She wasn't scared that much, though. She was getting steadily angrier.

As she knew would happen, Sera's suspicions were confirmed when the same man who'd called her unnatural accepted her dare. "With pleasure, bitch!"

The others avidly encouraged him as he stepped toward her, holding a gun.

Assessing him, she saw that he had an untamed mop of dark hair, cruel green eyes, and was just an inch taller than her. She could take him on easily if she chose…except she wouldn't. If this was it, she'd like to go out on a rebellious note, boldly letting this man kill her. Maybe she could haunt him in his sleep afterwards.

Sera lifted her hands in surrender. "Go ahead. Do it. It's not like I'm the only one who can beat these monsters or anything."

She smiled dryly, aware that these morons thought that if she was out of the picture, there would be no more monsters. Yet, she had her doubts over that coming into fruition.

Meanwhile, the man raised his gun toward her with trembling hands.

"Come on," she goaded softly.

The man stalled at hearing the menace in her tone. The intent to shoot was there, yet he behaved in a rather spineless fashion. It was almost as if he expected for her to reveal her demon powers at any minute. He didn't see her as a person but a monstrous freak, wild enough to kill anybody in the vicinity. Sera clenched her fists, wondering why he didn't get this over with. Despite this, she couldn't help but feel the slightest bit guilty that anyone should look at her that way. Was she so vile?

"KILL ME!" she cried out, part of her wishing for this to happen just to end her humiliation.

As he prepared to pull the trigger, something hit him in the back of the head, causing him to fall over in pain. He whimpered from the unpleasant electrical shock in his system.

"Nothing to see here, people!" Reno called out in an authoritative tone to those watching. "This is Turks' jurisdiction here. Now, if you all disperse, you won't end up like this guy."

People automatically started heading on their way, grumbling that their version of a beast hadn't been euthanized, after all. Others spoke nervously, wondering if the Ashcroft witch would be plotting her revenge. No matter what manner they talked in, all of these people had nothing to produce but useless babble. Eventually, the crowd emptied out until no one remained on the site except for Sera, Reno, and the would-be murderer. The redhead turned his eyes toward the man shivering on the ground and snorted disdainfully.

"P-Please d-d-don't kill m-me," he begged, anxious tears wetting his eyes.

When Sera apprehensively looked over to Reno, she was surprised to find his face was hardened and cold. She'd rarely seen him that furious, and she could tell he was at his limit in terms of restraint.

"Be lucky that this wasn't charged up all the way." Reno brandished his EMR in warning. "And that all those people were standing there. Otherwise, I would have killed you without a second thought."

Even though it wasn't directed at her, Sera flinched at the steel in his voice. The helpless man nodded in compliance, tears sliding down his cheeks. She didn't think he was sorry for being seconds away from shooting her, only guilty for getting caught.

Reno continued, "And if you _ever _touch her again, I will kill you, understand?"

The man incoherently stammered.

"Are we clear?!"

Releasing a deep exhale combined with a sob, the man answered, "Y-Yes, w-we are, s-sir."

Drawing back his EMR very slowly, Reno maintained his stony glare before spitting on the coward. "Good. Now, let's hope for both our sakes I don't see you again."

Frantically, the traumatized man got up and ran as far away as he could from them, much to Sera's relief. It wasn't like he could hurt her at this point, but she had seen Reno's eyes and knew he was more than capable of murdering this guy. Or anyone else, for that matter. That was one of the things of which his job consisted.

But, how much had that been duty and how much had been vengefulness?

A hand landed on her shoulder. "Hey. You OK, Serafin?"

"Y-Yeah," she stuttered, reminiscent of her almost killer. "I'm fine. Wh-Why did you—?"

"I had my reasons." He smiled at her wryly, unlike the cocky grin she was used to seeing. "Come on, let's get you out of here."

The way he said it, she realized that he didn't imply out of the site but out of the city. Maybe for the best, but what about her grandmother and her job?

"B-But—"

"No buts." His face became more serious. "We don't have time. They might come after you again."

_Awesome_, she thought sarcastically, knowing she couldn't argue with that logic. Besides, she was getting increasingly tired by the minute, and she had no fight left in her to convince him into letting her stay. The silver lining could be that she would finally be moving away from Midgar and its manic witch-hunters. However, she regretted this not being on her terms. So, basically, they'd won.

She gritted her teeth, nodding. "Good point. They'll probably come with torches and pitchforks next."

"Then, follow me. Rude's here with the car."

And Reno took off running like a marathon competitor. Damn. With her condition, she could keep up with his long strides but barely.

Any other day, she could probably rival him in speed. But, currently, she found herself losing her breath from fatigue. Even if she did win her battle, that monster had taken a lot out of her. She could feel her shoulder throbbing from that painful bruise as well as her back cramping from falling on it. There might have been a dislocated disk or something or a muscle. She didn't know, but it hurt.

Ashamed of her weakness, Sera gasped out, "Please don't run."

He didn't hear her.

She sighed in exasperation before yelling, "Reno!"

Luckily, that got his attention. He sharply halted, glancing over his shoulder at her struggling for breaths. So, she might not have sustained life-threatening injuries, but he could see that the fight had taken a toll on her.

Reno approached her with a vaguely gentle smile. "Hey. We're almost there, OK? Then, we can blow this joint."

Like he had once before, he trailed his finger down her cheek. "If you can't run any more, we'll walk. That simple. You don't have to play at being the tough girl all the time."

"I'm not a whiner, Reno."

He chuckled warmly. "Never said you were. All right. Let's just get to the car."

True to his word, they walked briskly the rest of the way toward the car, where Rude sat waiting in the driver's seat. Reno opened the back door for Sera to get in. Gingerly, she climbed in and had to deal with her aches in the process. She let slip a soft groan once she got herself situated. Oh sure, she was indomitable while showing off her physical prowess but after that?

Worthless.

She hadn't proven one person wrong when it came to her alleged malice. That creature would have diminished Midgar to rubble. She was a hero, had to be considered good at least.

But, no, all they did was mock her by calling her scoffing names, determined that she was the one who brought all this madness. Sighing heavily, she leaned back, closing her eyes and listening to the snippets of conversation between Reno and Rude.

"Where's the monster?" Rude asked once he got the car moving. "I thought it would be around here by now."

"Oh, about that." Reno forced a laugh. "Serafin killed it."

Skeptical, Rude briefly gazed at Sera, who found it intimidating. Even with shades over his eyes, she could tell they analyzed her. It was like some sort of invasion of privacy.

His doubt came through in his voice. "You mean to tell me that she took on a sixteen-foot tall monster by herself?"

Sera shrugged indifferently. "Just another day at the office."

"Yeah, sure did. So, the good news is that Midgar dodges another bullet. Bad news is, they're a bunch of screwed-up bastards out for Serafin's blood."

She glowered at the back of Reno's seat. "Thanks for sharing, Reno."

This was not something she wanted to be reminded of at the moment.

He looked over at her reproachfully. "Well, it's true"—then, back to Rude—"It's not safe for her to be here right now. I'm thinking she could stay at my place for the time being til things blow over."

No! He did not just say what she thought…

"What?!"

"Hm," Rude murmured, considering the idea his partner proposed but Sera's reaction as well. "If you think it's for the best…It's better than if she stayed with Tifa. I could see how that could go wrong, since 7th Heaven is very popular. Anyone who's out to get Sera would do so there."

She made an incredulous noise before launching into a tirade. "First of all, I'm right here! Second of all, our date does not equal me living with Reno. And most importantly, what the hell am I supposed to tell my grandmother?!"

Reno reached out for her shoulder, which she idiotically allowed him to touch again. "Calm down. I said a while, not forever. 'Sides, I came up with this on the sly. We'll figure something out later. This is just the main objective now. And we don't know how many people in Midgar want to kill you so…It's better off this way, trust me."

Initially, she wanted to scoff at the concept of trusting him and to point out this still didn't cover how Grandma would feel with her not around to provide for her any more. Unless she mailed in checks from her new workplace. How was that supposed to work out? Then again, Grandma had been all right on her own before she came along.

"Stop being right today," Sera moaned, unaccustomed to him being the sensible one.

It was a mask Reno didn't often wear, not in comparison to being the annoying pest.

He smirked. "You're yelling at me. You'll be back to normal in no time."

Bizarrely, he sounded quite pleased at the prospect. She would never understand him.

By the time they reached Reno's apartment, it had started to rain, something the weather had seemingly planned to do regardless of whether or not a monster was here. And why should it not rain? The day had been abysmal enough and to have _this _tacked onto it…Sera couldn't find anything within her to care. All three of them went upstairs to Reno's penthouse, and once the redhead unlocked the door, she promptly threw herself on the couch.

"Uh…Make yourself at home, I guess, heh," Reno said haltingly.

Rude stood alongside him quietly, observing like he always did.

Exhausted, Sera blinked back a wave of sleep, uncertain as to if she should do anything else before nodding off. She simply didn't much like the fact that she had pinned herself into a corner. Now, she had to worry about people trying to murder her. This was turning into something beyond her control. And she wasn't much of a deity believer either, as much as she had used to be quite the opposite when she was younger. Otherwise, she would rely on that higher power to lead her into the light at the end. As it stood, she wasn't sure there was such a light.

Then, glancing down at the state of her clothes, she cursed upon seeing how filthy they were. Ugh, she needed a shower.

Irritably, she sighed at this predicament. "I need to go back to Grandma's. I can't spend the rest of the day looking like this."

Reno had been whispering to Rude before hearing this, and when he did, he was quite alert to the complaint. Sera's remark on her looks presented him with the perfect excuse for him to give her a once over. True she wasn't looking her best at the moment, but she was still very much attractive.

"Hm, I see nothing wrong."

Her eyes could freeze Costa del Sol at that moment. "I look like hell. I need to have a shower and change."

"Who says you need clothes after sho—?"

"Reno, you chauvinist pig! I. Need. To. Go. To. Grandma's," Sera stressed, near her limit in terms of dealing with Reno's perverted jokes. She was not in the mood for them.

Rude whispered something in Reno's ear that she couldn't detect.

He sighed in response, rolling his eyes at the ceiling. "No can do. But"—at seeing her incensed, reddened face—"I'll go over there to get some clothes, OK? It's still too risky for you to drop by Midgar. And anyway, yeah, you look like hell. But, you look tired, too. You need to get some rest."

"Ugh, but—"

"What'd I say about no buts?"

Sera pursed her lips, fuming, a sight that Reno found rather cute. Awkwardly witnessing this exchange along with thinking that they'd probably break the sexual tension at some point, Rude left the apartment. He would wait in the car until their little make-out session was over. And frankly, he was almost thankful that he didn't have a woman in his life, presently.

Were all relationships like this? He wasn't one to assume the role of third wheel willingly.

Meanwhile, Reno stepped closer to the couch, where Sera fought off sleep with each passing minute. This was so irksome. She felt like arguing with the redhead some more about his prior stupid remarks, his motivations for saving her, and this whole concept of living with him. She was not at all amused or satisfied with this, most likely due to her obstinate nature. To trust him or not to trust him, especially with all his vices he nursed…And did he seriously have a home bar?

_Alcoholic, _she thought, with even more of a pout.

"You're impossible, you know that?" Sera asked, as if to continue her arguing, before suddenly yawning.

Just great. She wanted to talk to him about that nice collection of liquor he had.

He laughed. "Yeah, 'course I do. I was made to piss you off."

"H-How k-kind of you," she bit back yet yawned again.

Reno's eyes were less teasing and became softer as he leaned over to pat her on the cheek. "Have a nice nap. I'll be back in twenty."

That was the last thing Sera heard before she finally surrendered herself to sleep.

* * *

><p>Reno knocked on the door to the Ashcroft residence, not hesitating for even a second. Being the bearer of bad news wasn't an enviable position at the best of times. The very least solace he could provide Rosemary with was that her granddaughter was alive and well. The one downside was that Serafin would have to lay low for a while in Edge because the crazy, rabid townspeople wanted to kill her.<p>

He would offer bittersweet news all in all, so when he came face-to-face with the petite elderly woman, he didn't quite know how to put the story delicately. He noted that the lines on her face deepened in worry.

"Reno…Do…Do you know if Sera is all right?" she asked with a bit of a tremor to her voice. "I heard what sounded like another monster landing here. It was practically an earthquake here for two minutes. And I know how Sera has a tendency to go off to fight them."

Promptly, so as not to stretch out her anxiety any longer, Reno replied, "She's fine."

Rosemary visibly relaxed at the one shred of good news at the one shred of good news that he had to deliver. It was clear to see how much she loved Serafin, judging by that doting worry only a caring adult would have, especially to their family. Honestly, Reno could say that he had never known such love. The last time he'd ever spoken to his mom, she had screeched at him to get the hell out of her house.

It wasn't something he was keen on remembering, but then again, all Turks' pasts were shrouded in darkness and mystery.

Pushing that thought out of his mind swiftly, he pressed, "But, there's something else I oughta tell you. Sera wants some of her clothes, for one. I'll have her come back to pack the rest of her stuff another time."

Whatever joyful relief there had been fled from Rosemary's face. "I see. Well, it's best that you come inside."

Warily, Reno glanced over his shoulder to see what her aging eyes had caught. There were a few stragglers who must have recalled him from earlier and were now eavesdropping. Couldn't allow a man to do his job, could they? Hm, well, he supposed he'd have to take her up on her invitation then. The steady drizzle started soaking through his jacket, so it wasn't like he could stay out here forever.

"Yeah," he nonchalantly agreed, not looking at her but these pathetic people with a cold glare. "I probably should."

As soon as he crossed the threshold and closed the door, he continued, "Look, Rosemary, this is likely something you don't want to hear but…This guy tried to shoot Sera today."

Rosemary uttered a little gasp but otherwise said nothing, though Reno observed the very slight trembling of her hands as she sat down in her worn chair.

"I…I suppose you took her away to Edge," she guessed, her voice stronger than she looked through all her fear. "But, I just can't believe they'd actually try to kill _my_ Serafina."

He leaned against the wall by the door, suppressing the urge to take out his cigarettes and lighter. "I know that it's hard to believe. But, yeah, I took her back to my place for her to stay for a while. Those people are nuts."

"Did you stop that man who…who attempted…?" Rosemary trailed off, no longer able to hold back her emotions.

Reno had to admire her bravery through the situation, how she managed to keep herself mostly composed. She wasn't hysterically crying like he'd dreaded. He could see where Serafin got her strength from. This woman was one tough cookie.

After a beat, he nodded. "Yeah. He won't touch her again, I'll make sure of that."

He couldn't help but grit his teeth, considering he was still very much infuriated with that lunatic. Every reason why he shouldn't have tried shooting her made him personally seethe with rage.

To Reno's bemusement, Rosemary smiled. "I suppose I was right then. You are a good man, Reno."

"Uh…"

He'd been called many things, but that had never been one of them. Bastard, yes. Heartless, without a doubt. But, good, huh, that was a new one.

She went on, "You went out of your way to defend my granddaughter. That's a random act of kindness at the very least."

He shrugged. "Don't know 'bout that, Rosemary. I just did what I had to do."

Shaking her head, he could tell she didn't fully believe him. "There is good in you somewhere despite the job you have to do. I'll certainly trust you to look after Serafina."

Wait, what? She knew what he did to pay the bills?! Well, he'd be damned to find that out. With that in mind, how could she possibly have any faith in him? Still, it was rather pleasant to come across at least one person who wasn't automatically repulsed by him. Most sane people would have viewed him the same way they did his job qualifications. Yet, not this deeply kind woman.

A small smile flitted across his face. "Thanks. I'm flattered. So, yeah, do you have a couple changes of clothes for her?"

A few minutes later, Reno left with a generously supplied duffle bag of clothing and what must have been a few hygienic products.

It was true what they said then. Grandmothers were the sweetest people out there, always willing to give more than they took, no matter what they could afford to give anyway. This definitely applied to Serafin's gram.

He had a feeling that somehow, he'd made another friend without realizing it, someone more than an ally.

* * *

><p>When Sera emerged from the bathroom in a new outfit, her damp hair back in its customary ponytail, she still didn't feel completely refreshed. Outwardly, she appeared much better than earlier. It was the invisible grime she couldn't scrub off. It stuck to her suitably enough, like the filthy wretch she was. Very few people understood and remotely cared about her. Such was life, she supposed, but that grain of realism couldn't alleviate her sorrow and her punctured pride.<p>

People would relish in her death. How was she supposed to feel about that?

She glanced at Reno, who selected a bottle of whiskey along with two shot glasses. Figures, she'd driven to his refuge of alcohol, so that he could forget he'd now have to put up with her more often. Fantastic!

Once he noticed her, he smirked and showed her the bottle. "My favorite brand."

"Good for you…"

Upon seeing that confused look on her face, he elaborated, "I'm thinkin' after all of today's insane events that we could both use a drink."

Sera laughed over the thought that he must have read her mind. "No kidding. I agree completely."

He set the whiskey bottle down on the coffee table, and after he poured some of its contents into the shot glasses, she joined him on the couch. She'd never been much of a drinker, but tonight, she didn't care how much she imbibed. Sniffing the stuff curiously, she tossed back her head as she swallowed the whiskey, feeling the burn going down her throat. That burn matched her bitter attitude quite well. Reno obligingly drank with her at a slower pace but not lacking in enthusiasm for this.

Between the two of them, they finished the whole bottle by the end of the night.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I think I may have been watching too much Supernatural reruns lately. :P It's a good show and all, but yeah plenty of cursing and drinking (though not so much the latter) on there. Well, anyway, it might have seemed that Sera was performing very weird, unrealistic feats, but remember this was the game that had the spin-off movie that had Sephiroth and Cloud be fifty feet up in the air fighting each other. So, really, I do kind of get that Dragonball Z vibe coming from FF7, only with slightly more character development, I'd like to think.**

**Well, that's it for now. I hope you liked this chapter.**


	15. One Door Closes

**A/N: OK, here's the next chapter. I unfortunately have school starting up again soon, so I don't know when I'll be able to update after the next chapter, most likely. I'll try to keep up, but school does come first... Hope you enjoy this in the meantime.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 14: One Door Closes<strong>

After the on and off downpours of late yesterday afternoon and into the evening hours, Sera woke up because of the sun shining through the bay window in the living room. It was morning, if she couldn't gather that much from that bright, glaring light. Cautiously, she sat up on the couch, shielding her eyes from the sun. It was excruciating and definitely didn't help the pounding sensation in her head.

Wait…What had she done last night?

Her stomach churned almost turbulently from sitting up, the bile rising from her throat to her mouth. It reminded her exactly of what she did, so as to be sure she'd regret it. Oh, damn…

As fast as her wobbly legs could take her, Sera ran to the bathroom a few steps away and vomited into the toilet. She didn't dry heave either. Some time between when Reno had left and come back yesterday, she had woken up due to her stomach rumbling. Ultimately, she had ended up eating half a bag of potato chips, two bananas, and four cups of yogurt, as ravenous as she had been. She knew this hangover would have escalated to unbearable levels if she hadn't cured her appetite.

As it stood, however, she had drank way too much whiskey. And just when she thought she was finished throwing up, her stomach groaned as if to say that wasn't the case.

Sera soon felt hands hold back whatever little hair had come loose from her ponytail. "Let it all out, babe. It'll all be over sooner than you think. That's it."

Weakened as she was from this much sickness, she still had the energy to flip him off behind her back.

"Now, now," Reno began sternly, but the gloating smile in his voice couldn't be taken seriously. "Don't be like that, Serafin. You chose to have all that whiskey to drink."

Apparently, his common sense comments from yesterday had carried over to this morning, though this sounded much more like bragging to her. Of course, he was right, but it wasn't like he'd tried to stop her. He drank right along with her, so he was equally at fault here, being the enabler.

She emptied the contents of what she'd consumed one more time before finally backing away from the toilet. Going over to the sink, she made sure to wash her face, so she wouldn't gross Reno out any more than she probably had with the stench. The fact that he'd held back her hair made it even more embarrassing to her.

"So, how come you're not puking your guts out?" Sera asked him, a frown on her face as she flushed the toilet. "You drank as much as me."

He shrugged but smiled gloatingly. "I've just learned to hold my liquor well over the years. It's a little talent I've perfected, 'specially with whiskey. You, on the other hand, probably don't drink whiskey that often. The amount you had last night would be too much for you and your less experienced stomach."

The alcoholic would be knowledgeable about such intricacies, wouldn't he?

Displeased, she leaned against the wall, her stomach growling like it did when she'd had the flu in the past. "I would cuss you out right about now, but I won't even bother."

"Figured you wouldn't." That grin that was rubbing it in her face merely widened. "I know how to corner you."

"Be that as it may, you're still full of shit."

He chuckled at her retort, predictably so, but she found she couldn't be too angry with him. After all, he'd done things for her that some Midgarians she'd lived among for years would never do. He'd offered her a place to stay in the form of his own apartment to wait out this insanity. Now that she took that into account, she realized this was a strange gesture coming from a Turk. Maybe Grandma had been right in thinking there was some good in him. Certainly, in comparison to Rufus Shinra, he seemed like a kitten.

Though she doubted she could call Reno "kind" exactly, she could concede that just in scarcely under twenty-four hours, he'd done things for her that others simply would refuse to do. To that end, it was reason enough for her not to display true hostility toward him.

Once she finished turning those things over in her mind, she made to exit the bathroom, only to stumble clumsily. She internally cursed herself again for getting drunk last night.

Reno lunged to reach for her arms in order to steady her. "Whoa, there. Take it easy."

He seemed to be touching her more and more as of late. Not that Sera minded too much, but his light touches sent shockwaves through her every time. She wasn't sure if she would ever grow accustomed to them. It already made her slightly ill at ease that she would live with him now.

"Look, honestly, I'm fine," she assured, backing away from his hands and out of the bathroom. "I probably should get ready for work anyway."

Reno shook his head. "I don't think you're in tip-top shape to go today. Have you ever played hooky before, Serafin?"

What was he implying? That she should take the whole day off because of a stupid hangover? That would not only reflect poorly on her character, but she'd surely get fired from Mrs. Liran's for pulling such a stunt.

"Reno, there's no room for argument. I need things to get back to normal. Work's the best place for that to happen!"

He merely tsked-tsked as a reaction to her protests. "Serafin…You just threw up. Obviously, you need some rest. Besides, I'm guessing you got a monster of a headache."

He was right again. Why should he have to be right about anything?

Highly irritated, she reluctantly complied and headed back to the couch while Reno went over to the kitchen fridge. She wouldn't ask why in Gaia he could manage holding his liquor so expertly well, as much as she was curious. The answer likely more or less amounted to that his drinking had built up some sort of tolerance, like an impenetrable wall had formed in place of a stomach. That was her assumption.

"What are you doing?" she asked wearily, trying and failing to block out the ceaseless pounding in her head.

Reno showed her the canned drink with a grin. "Giving you my hangover cure."

"Reno, that's ginger ale. Not exactly what I'd call a home remedy."

He leaned against the fridge, shrugging. "It works for me. Settles my stomach in no time. I think you oughta give it a try. Catch."

Reno tossed her the can, which she thankfully caught but by a narrow margin. Then, she shook her head at his laziness. It wouldn't have hurt him to actually walk up to the couch and hand the can over to her. Rolling her eyes, she nonetheless popped the tab to drink some of the ale, a little surprised that her stomach didn't turn over in somersaults. Maybe ginger ale was a decent enough cure to a hangover, after all. She made sure to stow that tidbit away in her mind for future reference.

"Well…I guess I'll skip work today. Might as well because they'll try storming Mrs. Liran's anyway." Sera sighed, sipping her drink more absentmindedly. "I don't want to put her in any danger on my account."

Not wanting to upset her further, he smiled crookedly in an attempt at comfort. "Nah, she'll be fine. Who'd be stupid enough to trash a pharmacy?"

"You'd be surprised. And that would mean you clearly don't know this town," she replied dryly.

Chuckling and revealing teeth in his cocky smirk, he pretended to be affronted. "You think I'm too dumb to be observant?"

Sera mustered up what was supposed to be a teasing smile, but it came out looking wan. It hadn't been quite twenty-four hours yet, and she already felt like a shadow of her former self. With each traumatic event that rocked her world, she dwindled more into someone increasingly paranoid, anxious, and depressed. She'd always be left with the feeling that she couldn't fight away her demons. They hid at the darkest corners and crevices of her mind, jeering her. It was their way of daring her to dream on for the perfect life, picket fences and all. Good luck with that when she could only build cold steel walls, keeping her protected and everyone else away.

Reno ignored her less-than-enthused response by saying idly, "Well, I'll take you to Rosemary's later to pack."

She didn't mind that he was talking for her, voicing what she'd wanted to bring up next. Officially moving out of her grandmother's house…It would be painful, yes, but she was twenty-one. Old enough to make her own decisions and certainly old enough to live independently, but she hoped Grandma would fare along well without her.

Never mind her loneliness and misgivings over the situation, she had to be sure that the woman who had taken her in wouldn't suffer for the vacancy. She worried that the more irrational of Midgar's citizens would turn on her next, worse than they had. Before, she noticed they would treat Grandma with cool indifference. Now that the word was out that Sera had practically unearthly powers of some kind, the repercussions for her grandmother could be innumerable. After all, she'd been the one to open the door…

"Hey, Sera?"

The rest of the ginger ale did nothing to relieve her parched throat, and she found that her eyes were stinging. "Yeah?"

Reno brashly looked her in the eyes, his smirk losing its sharpness but still very much there. "You're thinking too much. Whatever it is."

She crushed the empty can in her hand with slightly too much force as she stood up in front of him. "You don't get it. You probably don't have any relatives worth worrying about, but I do. They might hurt her for…for bringing the monster into Midgar, for providing shelter for it."

In just a few long strides, he narrowed the space between them and almost reached out his hand toward her face. But, dismissing this as being too soft and vulnerable a gesture, he let his hand drop to his side.

He never averted his eyes, so that Sera saw their full intensity honed in on her. "Look, those jackasses don't know anything about you. You're not a monster. And if I have to hear you call yourself an 'it' ever again, I swear I'll—"

Sera impulsively wrapped her arms around him. And she couldn't really explain why, only it was something that needed to be done.

Why did she have to owe him everything?

"Thank you, Reno," she whispered in his ear.

He'd stiffened from shock, not knowing what to do. Slaps from women he was used to. But, tender embraces like this? And from her? The snarky part of his mind told him that she must have drank a lot more of that whiskey than he had last night. This morning, she was just experiencing the residual effects. He'd never pretended to understand women and their wishy-washy emotions, nor was he about to start.

What he did do, however, was securely wrap his arms around her. "No prob. Really."

Sera picked up on the awkward spontaneity of the hug and swiftly pulled back. "'Course. Just…No one has ever told me I'm not a monster before. At least not directly. I thought I'd…"

He lifted a hand to silence her. "It's cool."

Walking over to his bedroom, he took his EMR from where it was leaning on his nightstand and prepared to leave. "I'm going to clock out at six if I can and come on back to give you a lift."

"OK."

He looked over his shoulder at her, looking somewhat stern. "And Sera?"

"Yeah?"

Reno gave her a parting grin. "Don't go digging through my bar. I know you want to."

What did that have to do anything? That foolish man! As if she would repeat the same mistake twice. Her stomach problems were slowly improving, and there was no way she would sacrifice her recovery for even a few sips of alcohol. That was not funny.

"And don't let the door hit you on the ass on the way out, sweetie," Sera mocked in a syrupy voice yet with glaring, deadly eyes.

He chuckled to himself as he left. Now, _that_ was more like her!

* * *

><p>Sera sat cross-legged on the floor of her familiar room, not wanting to believe this would probably be the last time she set foot here. She'd saved up about four- to five-hundred gil over the years, the life savings being placed in a hefty, makeshift money bag currently on her lap. It would be enough for her to buy a cheap apartment maybe, should she need to. She predicted in the near future she would or possibly an inexpensive cottage in Kalm. Either way, she knew she wouldn't stay with Reno forever. It couldn't be in the cards.<p>

Gil was the least of her concerns as she examined a photograph that Grandma had kept all this time in the house. Unselfishly, she had offered it to Sera. Then again, there were hopefully more family photos in storage. But, this was a special one.

This picture depicted her and her family at a chocobo ranch roughly eight years ago. They didn't necessarily have the most money, so visiting a ranch with a neighboring orchard was the best that they could do. It didn't matter, however, not back then. Wealth could never replace love and family, two precious things one would be lucky to have in life.

Her thirteen-year-old self had an arm around her sister, age nine, who held up a shiny red apple she was more than happy to show off. Their mother and father stood behind them, beaming. Dad had disheveled dark brown hair that could never be maintained along with a smile that always crinkled the corners of his green eyes. Of course, that contagious smile could be found here. His sense of humor showed through all the time and he had a tranquility that couldn't be easily shaken. He was a kind man, her father.

As for Mom…Sera held her in high esteem for both her grace and beauty she doubted could be imitated. Mom had long curling blond hair and light blue eyes that her younger daughter had inherited. She stood proud and strong, revealing a subdued smile that conveyed so much wisdom. Yet, she had a sly side, too. Sera could remember when she was very small that when Mom found her during hide-and-seek, she would chase after her. She'd played the role of "tickle monster" and Sera the hapless victim. Getting caught was the most fun of that game because, oddly enough, she'd been one of those kids who liked being tickled all over.

Grandma soon interrupted her reminiscing. "It's a very nice photo of you all."

Blinking back tears she didn't know had risen, Sera looked over her shoulder at the beloved elderly woman standing there. Her grandmother was her dad's mother, and all the times she'd come down to their house, she would joke that he took after her in looks and that was about it. That didn't include all the stories she had of him as a young boy who constantly tormented his brothers.

Sera murmured, "Yeah," and tucked the unframed, dog-eared picture among the folds of her clothing in her suitcase.

Judging by how prominent that crease was on the photo's corner, she knew it had been looked at fondly several times. Perhaps there were dried tear stains here and there that she couldn't see. Or maybe there had been no tears but smiles at the memories normally buried. Dug up once in a while, and the waves of emotions would come back again. Back to a time that faded over the years but would eternally hold significance to her. To both her and Grandma, actually.

"Is there anything else you need?" Grandma inquired, wanting to make sure that Sera had all that she would require in her temporary home.

What a typical maternal question nonetheless. When she had first timidly walked up to that door seven years ago, shivering from the rain, she'd had little more than the clothes on her back. Just her with those damp clothes and holding on tightly to the core of an apple she'd stolen. That experience had taught her that she couldn't truly lack in anything as long as she had love and kindness to fall back on as a cushion.

With that in mind, Sera answered, "No, this looks to be about it. I never had much anyway"—she shrugged, then brightened with a smile—"Well, technically, I'd like a hug. For good luck, you know?"

Luck but also love in all actuality, though Sera didn't want to get too saccharine. Besides, she could let her walls down around her grandmother.

Grandma smiled back, though her green eyes watered. "Just be gentle. I don't have the body I did twenty years ago."

"Yeah, I could break you if I'm not careful," Sera teased as a way to lighten the burden that was on both their hearts.

The two women embraced, with some tears being shed. It was Sera who let go very hesitantly but not desiring to draw out the emotional moment any longer, for both their sakes.

"Remember, I'm only a call away if you need _anything_. I expect you to call anyway."

Grandma stated the latter sentence in a firm, no-nonsense tone, her arms crossed. In spite of that, her eyes glinted in that mischievous way that only Dad could have inherited from her. He'd taken after her in looks all right, but Sera had a feeling that Grandma had cleverly lied to them about him not inheriting other qualities from her.

Sera grinned. "I promise. You won't have to worry too much about me."

"I should hope not, you being grown and all," Grandma scoffed with still twinkling eyes.

The moment of jovial wit passed as they sobered.

"Goodbye, Grandma. I love you," Sera murmured.

"I love you too, Serafina. Take care. I know you're in good hands."

"Mmm." Sera scrunched up her nose and waved a careless hand. "Reno's all right."

Grandma caught her eyes, giving her a stare that seemed to imply she knew something she herself didn't. "He's a good man, Sera. He has his heart in the right place. Besides, his eating dinner with us told me all I had to know."

"Yeah…Yeah, I know." Her heart picked up speed, face flushing. "I'll talk to you soon. Bye."

"Bye, dear."

Sera went down the stairs, carrying her rather light suitcase over her shoulder while she struggled a bit more with the money bag. Once she was outside, where Reno's car was parked right on the curb, she threw her humble amount of luggage in the back seat before walking over to her motorcycle.

There was no way she would leave Phoenix behind for the world. They'd been partners in crime for quite some time now to the extent that she had an unorthodox possessiveness over it. It was her ticket to freedom.

The driver's side car window was rolled down, and Reno called out, "All set?"

"Yeah. That's honestly all there is back there."

"K, let's head back."

Straddling her motorcycle, keys in the ignition and her holding her helmet above her head, she winked at him. "Race ya."

It was no contest. She ended up beating him back to his apartment, though she might have cheated courtesy of a few shortcuts. It was the most alive she'd felt all day.

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><p><strong>AN: OK, so not too much going on, but after an epic chapter last time, I didn't want to throw things at you. However, there is finally some more revealed about Sera's past a little bit, getting you guys acquainted with the family in a way. And of course just because Sera and Reno are under the same roof doesn't mean either one of them, especially Sera, is comfortable about that. So, there you go, another chapter.**


	16. Seeking Normalcy

**A/N: Hi, guys, I'm back with another chapter! This one is, more or less, the aftermath still from that major, major event a couple chapters ago. But, there's so much more to it than that, so I won't reveal any more.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 15: Seeking Normalcy<strong>

Over the next few days, Sera discovered that living with Reno wasn't quite the horror story she'd hyped herself for. On the contrary, the experience so far had been fairly mundane. They had established a domesticity that neither one of them had expected or prepared for, especially Reno. Previously, he would rarely spend any time in his apartment except for a change of clothes, sleeping, eating, drinking…The basic fundamentals of living on one's own while being a high-ranking Turk. Now that Sera had moved in for a time, everything was totally turned upside down.

He felt more obligated to stick around longer in the mornings and went to the bar less in the evenings. There was this protectiveness over her that he didn't realize he had developed. He wasn't about to abandon her at this point, leaving her to perturbed thoughts and loneliness. The day after she'd officially moved out of her grandmother's, she was adamant about returning to work at Mrs. Liran's shop. Normally someone pro-work, Reno had a change of heart in regards to her and voiced his concerns about her being so out in the open in Midgar.

What if the residents ganged up on her again, threatening her with their strength or weapons?

Sera took this and other similar questions to task by promptly dismissing that possibility. She herself would be armed at all times rather than just when she walked around in the more dangerous sectors. She'd be more on her guard like she always had.

"It'll be OK," she had assured him, her gaze stern and unwavering. "I told you I know what they're like."

He'd closed his eyes in thought, let out a tense sigh, and agreed, "Yeah, you're tough, Serafin. If you can't beat them, nobody can."

That was what she'd proven by going back to work as if nothing had happened: her relentless determination and fierce bravery. A lesser person would have isolated themselves for a long time after being publicly humiliated like she had. Not her. She put so many people, including several Midgarians, to shame. They could learn a thing or two from her.

So, Sera had gone back to Mrs. Liran's, and the kindly proprietor accepted her return without prejudice or resentment. Though her reputation was in shambles here in town, her employer could still be counted on to trust her. And Sera wasn't about to take that for granted.

In the meantime, when she hadn't been at her job, she'd ensured to visit her grandmother at her house and occasionally dropping by 7th Heaven for a drink or two. After the incident, she wasn't as strict on herself about alcohol, though her primary objective still was to talk with her friends. Nothing had changed in that respect. Of course, Tifa hadn't experienced quite the shake-up she'd had recently but sympathized. She was the one friend Sera could trust with keeping all of her secrets.

Generally, when she would come back to the apartment after a long yet fulfilling day at work, things were fairly dull. Reno would come home around seven or eight o'clock, sometimes nine, depending on his task at Shinra. Though this would be rare, he would sometimes be in a bloody mess when she did see him. Typically, his uniform would be sprayed with a victim's blood, not his. Sera would give him a wary sideways glance but otherwise said nothing as he went on to take a shower.

She tended to cook breakfast and dinner now, when before, Reno had been content with a sandwich and some chips. There hadn't been an agreement drawn up between them that she would do the cooking. It was all a matter of that he woke up one morning to the smell of sausage, and that had settled it. Having been accustomed to looking after someone else as well as herself, Sera was quite considerate toward him, now that they were under the same roof.

There were times when she would toss a sarcastic comment his way, though that wasn't out of the ordinary. They were overall kind, amicable, and closer to each other in light of their situation.

She could be entirely selfless, like how she refused when Reno offered they trade sleeping spots. It was his bed, she'd argued, and she wouldn't want to be the reason for any weariness that might come from his sleeping on the couch. This inevitably caused a minor squabble until he surrendered to letting her have the couch. He could never truly be defeated, however.

She'd found that out when she woke up on his bed the following morning.

Directly across from her, in the other room, Reno complacently sat on the leather couch with a smug grin. Sera shot him a glare yet grudgingly murmured her thanks. His stubbornness had won, as usual.

Although he had uprooted her from her home without offering her much in the way of options, she could acknowledge that she had feelings for Reno. She had hardly any animosity left for him because of all that he'd managed to do. If he was truly ruthless through and through, she internalized, he wouldn't have bothered to defend her. Indeed, he could have easily let that man shoot her, since he wasn't technically tied down to her problems.

He'd pushed himself into her life that now she couldn't imagine a world without him. She couldn't picture what it would be like if they'd never met or reunited or even seen each other. Life wouldn't seem as interesting somehow. Or as natural, like what was between them from being together in this apartment.

Sera wondered the first couple nights if Reno in particular was too comfortable in that aspect. Rude had accompanied him back to the penthouse initially, but once the redhead realized that she was there, he told his partner they'd talk later.

As much as Sera was repulsed by what the Turks did, including the eerily secretive component to their job, she could understand why Reno would never tell her anything. Along with why he couldn't ignore her while speaking with Rude about their dark, nightly deeds—he didn't want to expose her to that lifestyle in any way.

Maybe he was being hypocritical, but she didn't mind. She preferred to be blissfully unaware. The blood literally on his hands and his clothes said enough.

Aside from that grim detail, Sera had cheered up considerably over these days, enjoying Reno's company when she had it and the jokes they shared ("Holt's trying not to get cancer, so that's why his goal is to buy the whole shop," she said once, making him laugh for two minutes straight) that lightened the mood. They would even watch his high-definition TV together on some nights, rolling their eyes at the news or entertaining themselves with whatever movies were on.

One pivotal day began like any other, as such deceptively innocuous days tended to start. Reno woke up to the sizzling sound of bacon and eggs on a frying pan, one of which that had quickly grown on him. It wasn't the hurried manner in which he "cooked" breakfast (if toast counted) but one that was more relaxed, willing to take time, distinctly hers. He was nowhere near as ambitious in his cooking endeavors either.

Sure enough, by the time he was dressed and emerging from his bedroom, he saw Sera standing before the stove. He wouldn't have thought in his wildest dreams that she would dedicate herself this much to cooking, but she seemed more than happy with the undertaking.

"What are you making?" Reno asked.

She momentarily glanced at him with her smile. "Bacon and omelets. I got some onions and green and red peppers this morning for the omelets."

He couldn't help but admire her creativity. He wasn't exactly a vegetarian by any means, but the idea of a veggie omelet wasn't off-putting to him. Serafin showed some inventiveness in her cooking (such as that lo mein last night, mmm…) to the point that she ought to open her own restaurant. Or at least work at one.

"Hm, sounds good. You're really one hell of a cook, Serafin."

"I try." Sera chuckled as she flipped one omelet over with a spatula.

She couldn't help but beam at his compliment. On the one hand, she felt disgusted with herself at being flattered like some organized housewife. Yet, part of her really relished in that moment without any shame. This was what it was like to maintain a home, and of course, she was proud of herself for having the capability to do that. It was almost like some sort of hidden talent she never knew she had. For once, Sera could taste normal life and then asked herself if any more days spent with Reno would be like this. With a private smile meant for herself, she shook her head for thinking up this sentiment. She had to think in reality, which was not pretty and wouldn't work out the way she'd want.

Their bond became more reinforced day by day, so no matter where the chips fell, she would always have this to remember. When they ate breakfast a little while later, Sera knew she could affirm it as a memory in all its simplicity. Just talking with him was more satisfying than she would have ever thought possible.

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><p>"That'll be twenty gil," Sera told the customer, cheerily smiling in an unforced way. And honestly, she couldn't recall the last time that happened.<p>

The woman before her, however, had a smile that resembled more of a wince and subsequently laid down the amount of gil nervously. One brown eye subtly twitched in a reflexive tic as she snatched her sack of ether with jittery hands. The way she made toward the exit was as if she would burst into sprinting at any second.

Sera's smile slipped, but she nonetheless called out, "Thank you, have a good day!"

The customer might have squeaked upon her departure.

Sera tried to pretend that this didn't worry at her mind somewhat, witnessing someone show fear around her. It was great that she could go back to the items shop and resume her life in that regard. But, as much as she could convince herself to believe otherwise, her small interactions with the customers were permanently changed. Some of them continued to idly chat with her with some degree of warmth because they knew better. She couldn't release her powers of her own free will unless a major trigger presented itself. Not in a million years would she intentionally cause discomfort to anyone.

Unfortunately, most of the other customers didn't see it that way.

Mrs. Liran let a potion stew on the stove in the back room before walking out to check on how things went in the shop. No customers were there to browse, which was unusual for this time of day.

Sera sighed, lowering her shoulders. "I…I'm sorry, Mrs. Liran. I'm a jinx to the shop now."

"Nonsense," she sniffed. "More or less, these people aren't reasonable enough to see that you aren't the witch or demon you're accused of being."

Sera smiled wryly. "Try telling them that."

"Sera, you are one of my best workers. Violet is good too, of course. But, you have been such a help to me. It wouldn't be easy to replace you."

Mrs. Liran's words gave her solace in the sense that there was at least one other person apart from Grandma who had faith in her. Those two women could vouch for her character when almost no one else could. Perhaps this fresh incident would blow over in time, fading in the people's minds. Given the gossip about her and the dramatics of that day from start to finish, however, she knew this would be the inevitable story to pass on. Children would know her name and grow to fear and hate her.

As appreciative as she was of the high praise, Sera was aware of how permanently this had been etched in everybody's minds.

She told Mrs. Liran this, adding, "You might want Violet full-time at some point. I'm thinking of getting a new job in Edge. But…That's if the situation gets any worse."

For, it would only be a matter of time before she got all of her priorities in order and move on from Reno's penthouse. Depending on the attitudes of these wretched people here, they would either hesitantly accept her ("accept" being applied loosely) back into the fold or exile her forever and ever amen.

Then again, maybe no longer being a Midgar resident would be the best option no matter what.

Mrs. Liran offered her a wan smile in response. "I won't be shocked if you do decide to stay in Edge, to be honest. Are you staying with anyone right now?"

"Um…Yeah…I'm at that guy's place. The one I went on a date with."

For pride's sake, Sera hoped that Mrs. Liran wouldn't jump to certain obvious conclusions.

Thankfully, she didn't as she started walking to the back to check on the surely boiling potion. Her tired smile widened, Sera could see, as she looked back over her shoulder at her.

"He's probably a keeper, Sera. For him to offer you a place to stay—get you back on your feet—actually says a lot," Mrs. Liran stated, fully confident in her theory.

"Uh-huh. I think so, too," Sera replied softly.

At that moment, it occurred to her that maybe leaving Reno wouldn't be as simple as she'd deemed it to be earlier. It could very well be difficult to leave someone who was one of her good friends. Mrs. Liran was right. It took a certain type of person to be so selfless and generous enough to do what he did.

_You did good, Reno, _she thought to herself. _You actually are._

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><p>As customary for her getting around these overcrowded streets, Sera weaved in and out of people's way. The occasional tell-tale black market truck would drive by, filled with various wares piled in the trunk. Of course, no one could see for the tarp, but chances were, it was illegal. She definitely didn't miss this, even if she was now on her motorcycle. Just because she had a more convenient mode of transportation didn't necessarily mean that people would start moving aside.<p>

She still dealt with the same dirty looks thrown her direction, the same crudely shouted insults. If anything, these only increased because of the worse reputation she currently had to endure. Phoenix's motor was loud enough to drown out most of the yelling but not all. She could hear them call her "bitch" every now and again, but she refused to let that deter her.

Nothing could prevent her from going to the gym and working out like a normal healthy person. At her age, she knew it was imperative to keep in top form, even if it wouldn't always be needed for defense purposes. It was something positive and constructive for her to do.

Sera parked alongside a bike leaning on a battered rack reserved for these types of vehicles. She stared condescendingly at its condition. Pathetic.

When she entered, she half-hoped that the gym members would ignore her like they usually did, leaving her to her intense exercising upstairs. After all, she'd never hurt them for something as petty as revenge for their behavior against her. This had been built on a system of compromise: they'd leave her alone, and she'd leave them alone in return. The least they could do was show that little courtesy, even if they were brutish thugs and not practiced gentlemen.

Sera barely got through the door when they all simultaneously crowded around her.

_Gossip travels quick around here_, she bitterly acknowledged, dreading what would happen next.

Some of the wannabe body-builders smirked cruelly while the rest of them menacingly glared at her. She wouldn't put it past most of them of murdering her. No Reno this time to defend her honor either. She had one plan that she had to go with.

Putting on an arrogant bravado, she addressed them haughtily, "Hi, boys. What seems to be the trouble?"

Many of them grumbled and yelled obscenities at her as well as calling her the requisite names often bestowed upon her.

Sera maintained her smirk, giving them a slight shake of her head. "I don't get it, boys. I've never used my demonic powers on you, and I've had many opportunities to. Yeah, I could have killed you all a thousand times over already, but I haven't. I'm not the witch you claim me to be."

"Wanna bet?! Owner said to throw you out next time we saw you!" one of them bragged, puffing out his chest as if to say he'd make good on the threat.

Her plucky facade faltered as the prideful expression on her face faded. She mused on this new snippet of information. Well, they meant some serious business then. If the owner was going to ban her, then she would have to go out with style. Or, as one idea of hers entailed, she could assert herself to ensure she wouldn't be kicked out of the gym. Option B looked much more tempting.

"Oh, really?" Sera murmured. "He wants me out that bad? See here, I'm not sure I want to leave here quietly."

She drew out Gemini from the sling on her back, and she couldn't suppress the manic glee she felt at seeing the men flinch. The sunlight coming in from the front windows highlighted the flecks of gold dancing in her eyes. If she could psych them out and get them to surrender…

The owner stepped in so that he stood between the seething group of men and her. Her guess was that he must have been listening in the whole time and decided only now to act.

"Listen here, missy." The owner thrust a warning finger toward her. "You're banned from my gym for life! Your kind don't belong here."

"You and your sexist BS," Sera raised her voice, yet not shouting, before placing a knife to his throat.

The tormentors turned witnesses collectively gasped in astonishment.

She leaned toward the owner, whispering in his ear, "One little rumor you've all heard, and you all blow it out of proportion. What have I done that can be proven that is so awful? Killed a monster? And yet, I don't get any thanks. Interesting"—she pressed the knife closer to his throat until one drop of blood was noticeable—"That you treat me like _I'm _the monster! You see me like this all the time, all of you! And for that, I might as well kill all of you right NOW!"

Amazingly, these men in rapt silence did nothing but remain frozen in their tracks. They were scared of her, just like she'd wanted them to be. They deserved for her to strike terror into their hearts, after the disgraceful manner in which they treated her. If she was anything like Sephiroth, she would torture them senselessly.

However, since she couldn't be any more different from the sadistic murderer, she refrained. She slowly pulled the knife away from the owner's throat, meticulously watching his reaction. His mustache quivered no longer from indignant anger but fear, and he kept his eyes trained on her sharp weapon.

They were cowards, the whole lot of them.

"I'll go," Sera hissed. "This gym wasn't that great anyway. But, I won't forget this."

For the first and last time, the men of the gym had nothing to say to her, callous or otherwise. She saw it as a hollow victory. It took for her to threaten them for them to finally back off.

That sad realization stuck with her all the way home (the penthouse was as good as one anyway), and guilt unavoidably resulted from her actions. She'd become the monster, if only momentarily. What was she thinking? How could she live with herself? And so what if they'd deserved it or not, if the fright would serve them well? Ideally, Sera should have been the better person by peacefully walking away. But, the way they were planning on sending her off, with a beating…On top of the other things not going the way she'd planned them…It had pushed her over the edge.

When she opened the door, she discovered Reno lounging on the couch and watching TV, much to her confusion.

"You're home early," she observed flatly.

He lifted his head toward her with a grin. "Boss man didn't give me that much to do today."

"Hm."

Drained physically and emotionally from the intense situation over at the gym, she flopped down next to him, her arms crossed. Her emotions conflicted. She didn't know if she should laugh masochistically at herself, scream in anguished rage, or burst into tears. Maybe it could be attributed to chemically imbalanced hormones, but she doubted it.

Reno pushed back a strand of hair from her face. "Hey…What's wrong?"

Why'd he have to do that to her now? From hearing his pleasant voice, she knew that she had no other choice but to explain what happened.

Sera let out a wounded hiss that substituted for a proper sigh. "I tried going back to the gym today after work. Hadn't worked out in a few days, so I figured why not? So, I got there and…I think the guys there were going to beat me up and throw me out. I was so angry I…"

"Yeah?" he pressed her, his voice softer and gentler than before.

She didn't expect tears to fill her eyes when she confessed quietly, "I almost killed someone."

No way would Reno understand how grave that was. He was probably so used to using his EMR by now that it was second nature. She doubted he would empathize with her immense self-loathing.

He languidly draped an arm around her shoulders, tilting his head toward hers.

"OK," he said, squeezing her shoulders just slightly.

It was all the comfort she needed.

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><p><strong>AN: I think what could sum up my approach to writing this chapter is "less is more." So, the first half, there might not have been much going on, but it's still something. It's characterization and all that good stuff. Just really a montage of Reno and Sera getting situated, I guess. And as for that ending, well, "OK" is meant to be a bit enigmatic. Could mean a number of things, but I don't know, I just thought that their interactions this chapter should be kept simpler now that they've gotten to know each other more.**

**Hm...Next chapter...Well, about that, I'm going back to school this week, so this might go on hiatus again soon. I'd hate to do that, but I haven't finished writing the story completely. Good news, though: this is the halfway mark, roughly. Hope you liked this in the meantime. If I do have to go on hiatus, this is a decent enough place to stop.**


	17. Surfacing

**A/N: All right, this is going to be another pivotal chapter, especially in terms of emotions, as you'll see. Good thing I managed to write the draft of this chapter before classes started back up again. By the way, I added in some things too, as I wasn't completely satisfied with this chapter. And had to make sure I was before uploading it for you guys.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 16: Surfacing<strong>

Sera resolved, with heavy reluctance, to quit her job at Mrs. Liran's items shop the next day. She broke this news to her over the phone, implying her sincere regret but awareness that this was the right thing for her to do. Like the sweet woman she was, Mrs. Liran accepted the resignation with emphatic understanding. She didn't even ask her the reason why she was quitting. It was like she knew that her former employee was focused on building a life for herself, one that didn't factor in Midgarian bullies.

To occupy herself in the meantime, Sera would watch TV while Reno was away on Turk business. There wasn't all that much to do around the apartment. For someone with such a disheveled appearance as his, he kept a relatively neat household. No need for her to clean then, which she was disappointed at not being able to do. It was her coping mechanism most of the time, after all.

When she wasn't watching the TV mindlessly or performing a few exercises to stay in shape, Sera frequently visited Tifa as well. The brunette would ask how living with Reno went, and she always had some funny story to tell about him. He had certainly come through for her in a way that she had learned to welcome. His humor was one of the things that kept her sanity intact.

"Sounds like he's easier to put up with than I would have guessed," Tifa told her three days after Sera's gym problem had come to a head.

She contemplatively sipped at her glass of water. "I know. I haven't threatened to strangle him yet, so things are really looking up."

Tifa laughed, shaking her head. "You've stopped disliking him a long time ago, Ser, let's face it."

Oh, she had. It wasn't even a question of admitting it. It was pure fact at this point in time. If he had taken her to a suspicious club for a wild night on the town on that first date, she doubted that she would have softened any more toward him. Not this much, not to the extent that she saw him more as a friend.

The two women discussed other things too, like how the Strife delivery service was faring and how well the kids did in school. The latter subject had them feeling rather nostalgic.

Eventually, Sera asked Tifa, "Remember the time we kicked dirt in the boys' faces because they wouldn't let us play with them?"

She chuckled at the memory, responding, "Yep. Those were the days."

Naturally, it led to them regaling each other on those halcyon days of innocent childhood, the insightful discussion being encouraged by a bottle of red wine. Drinking in the middle of the day was unusual for either of them, but the tipsy giggling as a result made it worthwhile somehow. Though Tifa and Sera had each suffered tremendous heartbreak in their childhoods, they were both aware how lucky they were to have each other. Through the thick and thin, they would go out of their way to remain close. Besides, they never brought up sadder moments…

…Until, mid-hiccup, Tifa said, "Your parents were some of the best people I've ever known, Sera. They were just so kind and funny and maybe a little weird…But, you were _incredibly _fortunate. All those times I spent at your house…It was like a second home."

The grin previously on Sera's face quickly disappeared. She wasn't angry with Tifa for alluding to her parents' excellent traits, merely pained at what she had lost. Her family's love had been so precious to her and was the underlying reason she had matured into the woman she was today.

However, to be alone and carry on without that love hurt her more than any physical pain. Home truly was where the heart was. Where could she find her heart now?

She stoically nodded at Tifa's fond remark. "There's no denying they were great people. Yeah. They loved you like family, too."

The way she voiced those sentiments was far from romanticized and instead was brusque, clipped. Like if she had to talk about something like this again, she would explode.

Sera looked up to meet her friend's anxious brown eyes. "Um…Is it OK if I lie down for a while upstairs? I need to burn off this alcohol before I head back."

"Sure." Tifa sounded strained, the worry tellingly clear in her voice.

Sera had her brief nap once she fell on the guestroom bed upstairs, forgetting her troubles until another time. A time that came sooner than she thought.

* * *

><p><em>Nibelheim, seven years ago<em>

"Wooow, Tifa. That's beautiful! I can't believe you've never shown it to me before," Sera said in pure, almost child-like wonder for someone her age.

Fourteen was when adolescents closed in on the first moments of cynicism and frequently used sarcasm. Sera could be sarcastic when she chose to be, true, but she promised herself to retain her wide-eyed optimism for as long as she could. Mom had once said that that was one of the key secrets to living a fulfilling life along with curiosity and passion. It could be mentioned without any skepticism that her mother was an intelligent woman. And Sera adhered to whatever she said most of the time because it was worth listening to. Dad would make wisecracks, but that was him being typical. As for Jessalyn (affectionately nicknamed Jessa), she would understand these words of wisdom when she was older and not ten any more.

Presently, Sera was up in the attic of Tifa's house, where her friend held up her mother's wedding dress in full view. Given that not many people were extremely wealthy in Nibelheim, this dress had been fairly plain. At the same time, there was some baby blue lace sewn on the hem and the ends of the short sleeves as well as a white satin sash. These details made it beautiful and exquisite but only when one bothered to take a closer look.

Tifa beamed at Sera's doting compliment. "Thanks. My mom added the details to it herself. Daddy said she was the prettiest woman there. I would have shown it to you sooner, but you know…"

"Yeah. That and outside is way more interesting." Sera preferred to make this point rather than dwell on the fact that Tifa's mother was no longer here.

A sly gleam could be found in Tifa's dark eyes. "Speaking of which…We haven't been out today."

Sera grinned back. "Not really. Let's just go for a walk."

With that resolution, the dress was carefully put away, and the two girls raced down the stairs, eager to enjoy the hot late July day. On the way there, they accidentally bumped into Tifa's father, who had just returned from food shopping.

"What are you up to, girls?" he asked with a large smile, knowing how predictable these two were.

"We're going on a walk, Mr. Lockhart. We'll be back in a bit," Sera promised.

"See you, Dad," Tifa chimed in.

However, they barely got out the door when they saw a disturbing sight.

The house offered a great view from the front porch, wide in scope despite being more in town. It wouldn't have mattered what the location was in this instance, for a steady trail of smoke originated from more along the village's fringe, something that was alarmingly noticeable. This might not have made much of an impact on the girls, since it was fairly standard for people around here to burn away their extra garbage.

Unfortunately, the smoke trail was dark gray, almost black, indicating that this was much direr than they could have assumed.

The ugliness of the traveling smoke caused Sera to stiffen, her heart filling with dread. She lived more out in the country compared to where everybody else lived. Meaning…

"Hey, Sera," Tifa said in a hushed voice. "Wouldn't that smoke be coming from your—?"

She didn't need to say any more. Sera started running like her life depended on it. Only, it wasn't exactly like her life was on the line.

Some people out and about stopped to blankly stare at her sprinting like a madwoman across the village. A cart nearly hit her as she passed by, but she gave almost no thought to it. She had to get to her family. That was all that mattered to her now, to make sure they would be safe. As she approached her house, she stumbled to a halt, her heart racing as fast as her legs had been.

The house was on fire, the flames eating through the shingles of the roof like they were nothing. Sera opened her mouth but couldn't scream, petrified as she was. She didn't know what to do, how to get her family out of the blazing building. Never had she felt so helpless, not seeing them there waiting for her like she'd fervently prayed they would.

Why weren't they out here yet? Why? Surely, Mom and Dad would have had enough common sense to just pick up Jessa and run at the first sign of trouble.

She unconsciously trembled. This was going to be much worse than she'd prepared herself for. For a very brief moment, she looked up to the sky, silently asking the omniscient being beyond what she should do.

When no answer was received, she impulsively ran the rest of the way to her house, damning the consequences.

Somehow, the door was locked, leaving Sera to desperately slam her body against it repeatedly. After the fifth try, it gave way before her once her power was triggered and released. Her normally amber eyes matched perfectly with the vibrant colors of the flames. That sudden burst of strength was of no concern to her now.

Her parents lay lifeless in the corner of the living room in a puddle of their own blood. That was all she registered before she screamed in agony and in sheer terror of what would happen to her and Jessa. If Jessa was OK, then there might still be a chance to save at least one member of her family. As it was, their parents were dead, and there was absolutely nothing left she could do about that.

Sera collapsed on her knees, her sobs taking control of her otherwise numb body. This wasn't happening. She refused to believe it as she started feeling faint.

"Sera—mmph!"

Sharply lifting her head in alertness, Sera saw what she couldn't acknowledge seconds earlier. In the corner opposite of her parents' bodies, a tall silver-haired man stood looking coldly at her while covering Jessa's mouth with one hand. His other hand held a ridiculously long sword, the blade inches away from her little sister's throat.

"Jessa!" Sera managed to call out, though she was gradually losing her voice due to the smoke surrounding everything. "Let her go, you freak!"

Not her sister, too. Not her pretty blonde sister who had so much to live for, so many wonderful things ahead of her. Sera came to the conclusion instantly that this man had killed Mom and Dad. But, would he be sick and deluded enough to kill a child? Jessa had never even insulted someone before, let alone done something to create a grudge in a being as spiteful as the loathsome man holding her captive.

He smiled icily, his mako blue eyes just as cold. "Hello, sister."

And he plunged his sword into Jessa's stomach.

"NOOOOOOO!" Sera screamed desperately, as loudly as her sister's dying shrieks.

She reached out blindly, wanting to do something, anything. Yet, once again, there was nothing.

Pulling out his sword briskly from Jessa, the man calmly walked away from the gory scene before him as the wooden beams and rafters groaned, and Sera coughed from all the smoke. She glared up at him, her eyes shining gold and deadly. He nodded to himself, as though assessing her and liking the results. Sera would never forget the way he looked at her, as though he saw her as less than human. He had no empathy and didn't see people as beings with hearts and souls, and that was what she could see in the depths of his hard blue eyes.

"Monster," she growled.

He offered what was supposed to be a disarming smile. "I think I'm finished here."

He strode out of the house that was practically engulfed in flames at this point, which she guessed had been caused by some Fire materia. She didn't know nor care. She'd lost more in one day than she would likely lose her entire lifetime, and that feeling overwhelmed her. It was as if this blackness had just come and was beginning to devour her soul.

Sera curled up on the floor, sobbing. Maybe she should have hurried to salvage anything valuable or escape the house altogether, but neither option suited her. She would loyally die here with her family, and if there were any repercussions from that, she would gladly take them.

She nearly passed out from suffocation when somebody abruptly picked her up and ran out of the house, narrowly dodging a falling rafter.

When she was placed on the ground a reasonable distance away from the wreckage that had once been her house (it was about to fold in on itself at any minute), Sera groggily looked up at her savior. He came in the form of a redheaded boy or maybe man because he looked older than her, seventeen or eighteen at the most. His brightly colored hair was long, very long, and tied back in a sloppy ponytail. There was not much to say in terms of his clothes other than a baggy T-shirt and shorts, a nondescript outfit.

She met his stare evenly. "Why didn't you let me die?"

"Uh…You're welcome?" The boy raised his eyebrow in a way that suggested he wondered whether or not she was kidding. As if she could joke about this, as if she could remotely find any laughter in her situation. This idiot…

With a frustrated snarl, Sera stood up and placed her hands on her hips in a confrontational pose.

"My parents are dead! My sister is dead!" She walked angrily toward him, voice steadily rising with every word. "The least you could have done was left me alone to die—I would have welcomed it!"

The boy shook his head in disbelief, sighed, and replied bluntly, "Yeah well, I wasn't going to let someone still alive die in a burning building. Excuse me for being a decent person."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever!" she yelled shrilly, slapping her hands against his chest. "Try bringing my family back, then I might give you a freaking med—!"

Dizziness took over her, causing her to practically trip over her own feet. Luckily for her, she was saved from the humiliation of falling down by a steady pair of hands.

"Easy there," the boy told her, and that was when she saw his startlingly beautiful teal eyes up close. "You all right?"

Tears leaked out of her eyes as Sera shook her head. "Honestly…no."

"Can't say I blame ya." He made sure she could stand well on her feet before letting go of her arms and proceeding to ask, "What's your name?"

"Serafina Ashcroft. Yours?"

"Reno." He grinned wolfishly. "So, can I call you Serafin for short?"

She rolled her eyes with a huff. "What if I say no?"

"I'm calling you that anyway. Might as well get used to it, yo."

As they started walking away, Sera took a wistful glance back at her destroyed childhood home. All that would remain would be the memories and the silver chocobo necklace currently hanging around her neck. More tears streaked down her face, but she refused to outright cry in front of Reno. Boys were inept with other people's emotions in her opinion, particularly with girls'. She'd hate to make him feel awkward. She then pondered over whether or not she should say goodbye to Tifa but realized she wouldn't want them to part like this. She'd have to explain everything in detail, and she was simply not ready for that yet. Would she ever be?

For now, she would accompany Reno and see where that journey took her.

"I'm going to Midgar," he announced once they got out of Nibelheim with their arms full of bags containing free food. Sera had mentioned her current situation in as few details as she was willing to give, and the grocer had been very kind.

A half-smile grazed her lips. "My grandma lives there."

"Oh yeah?" For a second there, she swore she detected disappointment in his voice. "Huh, that's a relief. I was gonna ask you if you knew anyone there. I mean, I'm not sure how long I could take care of you. Wouldn't want you to be totally alone."

Sera suspected that he lied about that, as it wouldn't have been the first one he'd likely told her. He had swiftly evaded her questions about where he came from or who his family was. Clearly, this was a guy who would persist in being mysterious. Maybe he selfishly wanted her to himself, but she immediately eliminated that possibility. They'd only just met, after all.

Over the next couple of weeks, Sera found in Reno an annoying but useful traveling companion. He could talk his head off yet at least was resourceful enough to nab extra food from any food stand in whatever town they passed through. They would sleep in dark alleys or whatever such corner they could find. She noted that he had the habit of wrapping an arm around her while they slept in order to protect her. It was actually a nice discovery she made that he could be this accommodating, when he was so obviously used to wandering all by himself.

On their last day together, they rode in the back of a farmer's truck that carried cabbages. They technically hadn't hitchhiked but jumped in when they saw it at a gas station. Sera hoped they wouldn't get caught, this being a clever but totally foolish idea on Reno's part. Then again, he had more street smarts than she did.

It threatened rain by the time they scrambled out of the back of the truck in Midgar, their destination. Judging where she was, Sera knew she wasn't too far away from her grandmother's because they stood outside Mr. Hallos' grocery store. She saw the owner's ugly, beady-eyed face intently gazing at them from inside. It only made sense that she would grow to hate him later.

"So," Reno's voice drew her out of her anxious thoughts. "This is goodbye, I guess."

His grin was as easygoing as the one he showed off the day they met, and his teal eyes glinted mischievously as always. "You gonna miss me, Serafin?"

"It's Sera," she insisted while asking herself the same question.

Though he could be a trial to put up with at times, Reno had proven to be not the average person she would come across. He was unique, unpredictable, and weird in personality. She was normally put off by people like that. Of course, they had met under horrific circumstances, and he'd helped her, whether she appreciated it or not. He would tell jokes to keep up their morale. There had to be something positive said for that.

For a moment, she touched the chocobo pendant. Would Mom send somebody this soon? Would both her parents and Jessa lead him to her, for that matter? Nevertheless, if they were still alive, Sera figured they would have liked her new friend.

She smiled slightly. "Believe it or not…Yeah, I would."

She and Reno simply stood without saying anything for a while, smiling at each other. There was innocence to this, one that would be eternally lost when he'd join up with the Turks for preliminary training just three weeks later, unbeknownst to her. And she couldn't have predicted that she'd ever find out. As far as she knew, they would go their separate ways forever.

She had a strange urge to hug him but decided against it, doubting that Reno did sentimentality.

He waved goodbye lazily as he headed on his way. "Well, see you around, Serafin."

"You too, Reno."

And that was all there was to their parting. No hugging, no kiss on the cheek—none of that. Not even a handshake. Sera couldn't say she wasn't disappointed, and this was made more poignant when the rain started pouring. She remained standing there for a few more lingering minutes, watching him walk away. Then, she continued onward to Grandma's.

* * *

><p>Thunder woke her up, and she sat up on the couch, visibly shaken. Sera enjoyed rain tolerably enough but couldn't stand thunderstorms. She shivered from that old childhood fear along with her dream. Not a dream, per se, but a memory that had resurfaced.<p>

Her parents and sister were murdered all over again. It was her fault that she couldn't get to them in time. No, worse, she'd been frivolously spending time with Tifa when she should have washed the morning dishes she'd been too lazy to clean. Just an hour or so longer would have been plenty to ensure their safety while she took him on.

So what if she'd been fourteen? She should have acted more rationally!

Sera pulled her legs up closer to her chest, softly crying, doing everything in her power not to scream. When would she stop reliving that traumatic event in her life? It was too much of a highlight not to be recollected in the course of it. She would be haunted by the smoke trail, the burning house, and the bodies…Her dead family most of all. Miserably, Sera groped for the chocobo necklace on the coffee table, reflecting on her devastating losses.

She lost love, and she'd never been the same since. There was her grandmother, Tifa, and those very few other friends. But, she could never replace Mom, Dad, and Jessa. She was ruined by that fact, and of course, seeing Jessa being brutally murdered especially had been too much.

Sera didn't know that she was outright sobbing until she felt the lightest pressure of someone sitting next to her. Reno wrapped his arms around her.

"Shhh, tell me what's wrong, babe."

Surprised, she craned her head toward him, noticing that he would be the type of guy to sleep with all his clothes on. Then again, he'd been exhausted from working until ten tonight, so she'd let him have his sleep. She had taken extra care not to wake him up.

When she turned around, she subconsciously touched his chest that his mostly unbuttoned shirt exposed. "Sorry I woke you up."

"Nah, I was already awake. I was gonna find something to eat." Reno waved his hand dismissively before getting back to the subject at hand. "So, why are you awake?"

Sera shuddered and looked away from his searching teal eyes. "I…I dreamed about that day…when my family died."

He squeezed her gently with his arms still around her. "That's gotta be rough."

Being at her most vulnerable, she decided it wouldn't hurt that she'd lean against him slightly for comfort. She trusted him to do that much, and he delivered, stroking her hair while her muffled cries could be heard. Sera had never known that he could be this tender, since he seemed to be the type to avoid all intimacy if he could. He'd always been somewhat aloof, never willing to share anything more about himself than he could. Yet, here he was, consoling her in her immense grief that was the equivalent of an old scar bleeding anew. With it came all the pain, that excruciating pain that was like she'd been repeatedly stabbed in the chest.

As her sobs subsided, she drew back from him but was still close enough to hold on to him. "They were killed…by…by Sephiroth. H-He killed my sister in front of me."

"That bastard's gone. He won't hurt anyone any more," Reno assured softly yet firmly as he traced invisible patterns on her face, catching some residual tears.

The way he touched her face, his calloused fingers brushing her cheek so lightly felt soothing. She closed her eyes. It was absolute hell reliving that moment in time, but it could be more bearable with him here. Reno understood. He knew what happened—that is, if he remembered.

She then sat back on her heels, slightly embarrassed at their closeness while the traces of her tears were still visible on her face. "I know you probably don't remember this, but I really do owe you. Big time. You saved my life those years ago, and you probably didn't think much of it."

"'Course I remember. And do you honestly think I would have let you die?" He let out a short bark of laughter, shaking his head. "Wouldn't dream of it. Besides, people would be insane not to remember someone like you."

Sera barely smiled, flattered, but murmured, "Well, yeah…I didn't get to my family in time to save them. My house burned down. On top of being a witch, apparently."

Reno vigorously shook his head and caught hold of her chin when she was turning her head away. "That wasn't your fault. None of it was. Once Sephiroth targeted someone, they were dead no matter what. Look, at least I managed to get you out alive. You're safe now."

This was the conversation they'd never shared when they were younger. Yet, Sera couldn't help but feel she'd needed this reassurance. Logically speaking, she'd been fourteen and nowhere near strong enough to take on Sephiroth. Now, it no longer seemed relevant. It was as Reno implied: he was gone and wouldn't be able to break up any more families.

Sera moved closer to him, slowly realizing that he was one more person she could count on. His loyalty to the Turks ran deep, but that memory of him rescuing her and getting her to Midgar ran still deeper. That was what sparked this bond between them, and she knew for certain that it couldn't be torn apart.

She hugged him then, something she should have done the day they'd thought they would separate for good in Midgar. Reno's response was immediate as he pulled her close, tightening his arms around her. Any and all walls had been dissolved. Who else was there to watch?

"Thank you," she whispered in his ear, blinking back happy tears.

When Sera looked down at him, she saw that his eyes had glazed over, as if he was entranced by her. He casually ran his fingers through her hair.

"For what, Sera?" he murmured in response, a musing smile on his lips.

Even when they were sharing a moment, he was being an idiot. Or not…

She placed her hands on his face. "For everything."

It was out of impulse on her part. She would have been the one to initiate their kiss if he hadn't lifted his head and caught her lips with his at the same time. Her eyes widening, she felt her body freeze up, stunned for the briefest of moments, before she willingly gave in to him.

Yes, finally.

Kissing Reno was much better in reality than in fantasy, in her hormonally charged dreams. She weaved her fingers through his fiery red hair that felt as soft as it looked while he placed his steady hands on her waist. With experienced lips, he kissed her as he thought she deserved to be, like she was worth so much. He was gentler than she would have expected him to be, given his history of conquests. There was no insistence, only a willingness to ease her into something to which she was completely new.

At one point, wanting to take his turn at dominance, Reno seized her by the waist and flipped her over on the couch. Sera let out a giggle while he smirked triumphantly against her lips, still kissing, at this accomplishment of pleasantly surprising her. He wound one hand through her hair while the other cupped her cheek. A warm sensation pooling in her belly was the result of her feeling very comforted and full of longing. Yet, above all else, it was affection that drove her actions, an awareness that he was all she could cling to at the moment. Reno then brushed his lips against her neck, making her shiver and pressing herself up to him even more. She placed her hands against his chest, wanting to become well-acquainted with these toned muscles.

When they did finally stop all this kissing and caressing, she leaned idly against his chest, hearing his heart beating perfectly in time with hers. Exerting herself like this had tired her, and she could tell that he was near sleep as well. He glanced down at her with a half-smile and tender teal eyes, which had never looked more breathtaking to her.

"You need me to help you sleep?" he asked drowsily.

Sera smiled widely, relieved that he didn't want to get up off the couch. "Yeah, I'd like that."

Reno chuckled. "OK."

She shifted in order to get herself situated precisely how she wanted to be, nuzzling her face in his shirt. Meanwhile, he draped a secure arm around her.

A few minutes later, both of them fell peacefully back to sleep.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Yeah, originally, the big kissing moment was a bit on the short side in terms of length, and I didn't exactly like that. I was tired of just describing a character's thoughts and wanted to tell what happened, too. So, there's that.**

**And yes, I'm aware of the FFVII timeline, so the flashback takes place shortly before Sephiroth goes extremely insane and goes on his subsequent rampage. Why would he kill an entire family before that moment, you ask? Well, that actually has an explanation, something I hope to get to later.**

**Meantime, hope you liked all this angst. Or, I should say, you found this chapter compelling in spite of all the depressing stuff. Yeah. Not sure when I'll be able to update again, but I'm glad I got the chance to write the romantic moment anyway before I got too busy.**


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